NewsIndia

By Ishaan Kapoor — 27 July 2026 — 3 min read

Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar withdrew from the men’s high jump final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Monday. His withdrawal followed an unsuccessful opening jump and an initial administrative error on the official results website.

The incident at Scotstoun Stadium began with confusion when the official results platform for the Commonwealth Games 2026 initially listed Tejaswin Shankar as DNS (Did Not Start) for the men’s high jump final. This created an impression that India’s representation in the final had been reduced from three athletes to two. However, live telecast visuals soon clarified that Shankar was present at the stadium, warming up alongside teammates Sarvesh Kushare and J Aadarsh Ram. The DNS status was later identified as an administrative error on the official website.

Attention then shifted to Shankar‘s performance on the runway. He commenced his final at an opening height of 2.05 metres. During his first attempt, he was unable to clear the bar. After landing, the 27-year-old athlete appeared to be in discomfort. Within minutes of this attempt, he made the decision to withdraw from the competition, concluding his high jump campaign abruptly.

Impact and background

No immediate official statement was released regarding the nature of the problem that led to Shankar‘s withdrawal. Organisers and the Indian contingent did not comment on whether this issue might affect his planned participation in the decathlon later in the Games. Shankar arrived in Glasgow as the defending bronze medallist in the high jump, an achievement he secured at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he became the first Indian to win a medal in the men’s high jump at the event. This past success had set expectations for a strong performance in the current Games.

His form leading up to 2026 had been notable, particularly in combined events. In February, he claimed the Asian Indoor Championships heptathlon title, setting an Indian record with 5,993 points. Three months later, at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, he became the first Indian athlete to surpass the 8,000-point barrier in the decathlon, achieving a national record of 8,057 points. These results had established him as one of India’s most versatile track-and-field athletes ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

The early exit from the high jump final represents a setback for Shankar. The focus now shifts to his potential recovery and participation in the multi-event competition. Meanwhile, other Indian athletes achieved success on the same day. Gyaneshwari Yadav secured a silver medal in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event, and Bindyarani Devi earned a bronze medal in the women’s 58kg category. These podium finishes contributed to India’s medal tally, even as Shankar‘s high jump event garnered significant attention.

Athlete profile and previous achievements

Tejaswin Shankar, born on December 21, 1998, in Saket, New Delhi, initially had aspirations of becoming a fast bowler in cricket. His physical education teacher at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya encouraged him to take up athletics to improve his speed and agility for cricket, which marked a significant turning point in his life. He quickly discovered his talent for high jumping, excelling in school competitions before fully dedicating himself to athletics.

His journey was also shaped by personal challenges, including the loss of his father, Harishankar, to blood cancer in 2014. Despite this, he continued his athletic pursuits with the support of his mother, Lakshmi, progressing steadily through junior levels. In 2017, his achievements in high jump earned him a four-year athletics scholarship to Kansas State University in the United States, where he studied accounting and finance while competing in the NCAA circuit.

In 2018, Shankar set the Indian outdoor high jump record at 2.29m and the indoor national record at 2.28m. These records remain among the best performances by an Indian athlete in the discipline. Beyond his bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he also won gold at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games. His withdrawal leaves the Indian contingent awaiting further medical updates regarding his condition.

Source: outlookindia.com