Glasgow, July 27 (IANS) Indian hurdler Tejas Ashok Shirse booked his place in the men’s 110m hurdles final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after producing a composed run to secure automatic qualification from Heat 1, giving India another shot at a track medal.

The 24-year-old recovered well after a modest start to finish third in his heat with a time of 13.76 seconds. Jamaica’s Jerome Campbell won the race in 13.33 seconds, while England’s Samuel Bennet was second in 13.20 seconds.

The qualification format featured two heats, with the top three finishers from each race advancing directly to the final, along with the next two fastest athletes overall. By finishing among the top three, Shirse sealed his berth without having to rely on timings.

Although his run was slower than his personal best of 13.27 seconds, it was enough to keep his Commonwealth Games campaign alive as he prepares for the medal race scheduled for 2:15 AM IST on Tuesday (July 28).

Shirse’s qualification continued a positive day for India’s athletics contingent. Earlier, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar advanced to the men’s long jump final after clearing the automatic qualification standard with an opening leap of 8.01 metres. The Birmingham 2022 silver medallist needed only one attempt to secure his place in the final and heads into the medal round carrying the best season’s mark in the field.

However, it was disappointment in the men’s 100m, where national record-holder Gurindervir Singh failed to progress beyond the heats. One of India’s biggest medal prospects entering the Games, Gurindervir clocked 10.39 seconds to finish second in his heat but ended up 28th overall, missing out on a semi-final place after only the top 17 athletes advanced.

Despite Gurindervir’s early exit, India’s athletics campaign gathered momentum with Shirse and Sreeshankar emerging as the country’s leading hopes on the track and in the field. Shirse will now look to produce his quickest race of the season when he returns for the final, aiming to cap his impressive run with a place on the Commonwealth Games podium.

–IANS

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