"Thankful to my family, coaches and team at IIS": Selva Prabhu after CWG bronze in triple jump
Glasgow, August 2
Indian triple jumper Selva Prabhu Thirumaran expressed delight after clinching the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, saying the achievement was a proud moment for him and motivation to keep striving for greater success in the future.
Selva Prabhu secured the bronze medal in the men's triple jump, while compatriot Praveen Chithravel claimed silver, as India completed a memorable double podium finish in the event on Saturday.
Reflecting on his achievement, Selva credited his coaches, family and support staff for standing by him throughout his journey.
"I'm really happy to win this bronze medal for India. Every season teaches you something, and this is one of those moments that reminds you why you keep putting in the work. I'm thankful to my coaches, my family and everyone who's supported me along the way, including the team at the Inspire Institute of Sport. It's a proud moment, but it's also motivation to come back stronger and keep pushing for more," Selva said, as per Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS).
The Indian finished with a best jump of 16.52m to secure the bronze medal after showing steady improvement through the competition.
Talking to ANI after securing the bronze medal, Selva Prabhu Thirumaran said, "I am feeling very proud of myself and my parents. This was a dream for them from the start. They always wanted me to represent India. I'm really happy... I was focused on the medal. I was more focused on performance. Getting a medal for India is a great thing. I dedicate this medal to whoever supported me, my coaches, physios, teammates, friends, and family. They are always my backbone."
Selva entered the medal positions with a leap of 16.17m on his second attempt before improving to 16.43m in the third round. He then produced his best effort of 16.52m to seal a place on the podium.
Praveen Chithravel claimed the silver medal with a best jump of 16.58m in a dramatic contest. He found himself in fifth place after the opening three rounds, having opened with a jump of 16.05m before improving to 16.31m in the third attempt. Chithravel then delivered a superb 16.58m leap in his fourth attempt to briefly move into the lead before eventually settling for silver.
The double podium finish further underlined India's impressive athletics campaign at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
India concluded the athletics competition with 10 medals, comprising five silver and five bronze, while Para Athletics contributed another six medals to the country's overall tally.
The athletics medals played a significant role in India's campaign, which also featured 10 medals in boxing, eight in weightlifting, four in judo and one bronze in powerlifting through Jhandu Kumar.
With the latest medals, India took its overall tally at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games to 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, to remain fourth in the medal standings. Australia continued to dominate the Games with 163 medals, including 68 gold.
— ANI
Reader Comments
So happy to see our athletes shine on the global stage! Selva's dedication and hard work is truly inspiring. His words about his parents and coaches being his backbone shows his humility. India's athletics program is definitely improving. Keep it up! 👏
While I'm thrilled about the bronze and silver, we need to think about why we're still not getting gold in athletics. Our athletes are talented but we need better infrastructure, more competitions abroad, and sports science support from school level. 16.52m is good but the world record is much higher. Let's celebrate but also push for more.
This is so inspiring! Coming from a small town and making it to the CWG podium shows what determination can achieve. Selva Prabhu's journey reminds me that with the right support system, anything is possible. Also great to see Praveen Chithravel's amazing fourth-round jump - that was pure drama! 🏃♂️
Honestly, I was watching this live and the way Selva kept improving his jumps round by round showed his mental strength. The fourth-round leap by Chithravel was sensational too. Indian athletics is on the rise, mark my words. 39 medals overall and 10 in athletics alone - this is just the beginning of a golden era for India in sports.
What a wonderful story of perseverance! His parents dreamed of seeing him represent India and he's now won a medal for the country. These athletes are the real heroes, not film stars. The Inspire Institute of Sport deserves credit too for nurturing such talent. Proud moment for Tamil Nadu and India! 🌟
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