Anurag Thakur Hails Gulveer Singh's Historic CWG 2026 Double
Synopsis
Gulveer Singh became the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the Men's 5,000m and the first Indian athlete to claim two medals at a single CWG edition. BJP MP Anurag Thakur hailed the feat as a historic double milestone for India at CWG 2026.
Key Takeaways
Gulveer Singh won bronze in the Men's 5,000m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games .
He is the first Indian athlete to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the Men's 5,000m event.
He is also the first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single edition of the Commonwealth Games.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, publicly celebrated the achievement on 2 August 2026 .
The double milestone marks a significant step forward for Indian distance running on the Commonwealth stage.
A bronze in the Men's 5,000m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games has made Gulveer Singh the first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single edition of the Games — and the first Indian ever to medal in this event. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, celebrated the feat on Sunday, 2 August 2026, calling it 'a remarkable double milestone for Bharat.'
The double that rewrote the record books
Gulveer Singh's bronze in the Men's 5,000m is not just another podium finish — it is a first. No Indian had previously won a Commonwealth Games medal in this distance event. Combined with his earlier medal at CWG 2026, Singh now stands alone as the first Indian athlete to claim two medals in a single edition of these Games. Two firsts, one athlete, one Games.
Thakur's personal stake in Indian track and field
Thakur's congratulatory post carries institutional weight. As a former minister who oversaw India's elite sports programmes, he has been closely identified with the country's push to build competitive distance runners. His post noted that Singh has 'created history' — language that signals the achievement is seen not merely as a personal triumph but as a marker in Indian athletics' longer arc. Gulveer Singh is a long-distance track athlete who has steadily risen through India's competitive athletics circuit, and this double underlines that the investment in distance running is beginning to pay dividends on the Commonwealth stage.
What a two-medal Games means for Indian distance running
Indian athletes have historically found Commonwealth Games glory in field events and combat sports; the track — especially distances of 5,000m and beyond — has been harder to crack. Singh's double at CWG 2026 signals a genuine shift. Government-backed elite training pipelines and international exposure programmes have been credited with producing a new generation of competitive distance runners, and Singh's performance is the sharpest evidence yet that those programmes are working at the highest level.
If Singh can carry this form into the next major international athletics cycle, India's distance-running story is only getting started.
Point of View
He has a direct stake in showcasing the fruits of those programmes. The 'first Indian' double milestone in the 5,000m also reframes the narrative around Indian athletics, which has long leaned on sprints and field events for its Commonwealth glory. If Singh sustains this trajectory, India's distance-running identity on the global stage is in the middle of a genuine rewrite.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gulveer Singh win at CWG 2026?
Gulveer Singh won the bronze medal in the Men's 5,000m race at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, making him the first Indian to medal in that event at the Games.
Why is Gulveer Singh's CWG 2026 performance historic?
He became the first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single edition of the Commonwealth Games, and the first Indian ever to win a CWG medal in the Men's 5,000m event.
Who is Gulveer Singh?
Gulveer Singh is an Indian long-distance track and field athlete who competes in distance events and has emerged as one of India's top distance runners on the international circuit.
What did Anurag Thakur say about Gulveer Singh at CWG 2026?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur congratulated Gulveer Singh, calling the feat 'a remarkable double milestone for Bharat' and noting that Singh had created history as the first Indian to win two medals at a single Commonwealth Games edition.
Which Indian athletes have won medals at CWG 2026?
Gulveer Singh is confirmed as the first Indian athlete to win two medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, taking bronze in the Men's 5,000m as his second medal of the Games.
