CM Himanta hails India's CWG 2026 gold, two silvers in athletics
Synopsis
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated three Indian athletes — Dilip Mahadu Gavit (gold) and Murali Sreeshankar and Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath (silver) — after their podium finishes at CWG 2026 on 31 July.
Key Takeaways
Dilip Mahadu Gavit won a gold medal for India at CWG 2026 .
Murali Sreeshankar and Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath both secured silver medals at the same Games.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly congratulated all three athletes on 31 July 2026 via X under #Cheer4Bharat .
Sreeshankar is an established Indian long jumper with prior appearances at the Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers.
India finished fourth overall with 61 medals at the previous Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 , setting the benchmark for the current cycle.
Three Indian athletes stepped onto the Commonwealth Games podium and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made sure the country heard about it. On Friday, 31 July 2026, Sarma took to X to congratulate Dilip Mahadu Gavit on a gold medal and Murali Sreeshankar and Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath on silver medals at #CWG2026.
Gavit's gold and a long-jump double silver
Dilip Mahadu Gavit claimed the top spot on the podium, giving India a gold to celebrate at the ongoing Games. Alongside him, Murali Sreeshankar and Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath both secured silver medals — a remarkable haul from what appears to be the athletics track and field programme.
Sreeshankar is no stranger to the big stage. The Kerala long jumper has built a reputation as one of India's most consistent performers in the horizontal jumps, with appearances at the Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers already on his resume. Sharing a podium with compatriot Morssinganakath underlines the depth India is developing in the discipline.
Why state leaders chase the podium moment
Sarma's post is swift and warm — 'You have made us immensely proud,' he wrote under the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat. The gesture follows a well-worn pattern: state chief ministers across party lines publicly claim a share of national sporting glory, particularly when athletes carry regional connections that can amplify local pride. For a convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), any Northeast thread in the medal haul carries extra political and cultural resonance.
India's appetite for Commonwealth Games glory is well established. At Birmingham 2022, the Indian contingent finished fourth overall with 61 medals, a performance that set a high benchmark heading into this cycle. Every podium finish at CWG2026 feeds into a running national conversation about whether that tally can be matched or bettered.
The medal count keeps moving
With the Games still in progress, the athletics programme promises more opportunities. The final medal tally — and any further contributions from Northeast India's growing pool of talent — remains the number to watch as the competition continues.
Three podiums in a day. India is not done yet.
Point of View
Including one gold, signals India's athletics programme is delivering at CWG 2026, continuing the upward curve from Birmingham 2022. For the BJP's Northeast consolidation strategy, any athletic success with a regional thread is an opportunity Sarma is unlikely to leave untouched. The broader arc here is India's steady push to convert depth in track and field into consistent multi-sport podium finishes.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dilip Mahadu Gavit?
Dilip Mahadu Gavit is an Indian athlete who won a gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as congratulated by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on 31 July 2026.
What did Murali Sreeshankar win at CWG 2026?
Murali Sreeshankar won a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The Indian long jumper has previously competed at the Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers.
Who is Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath?
Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath is an Indian athlete who secured a silver medal at CWG 2026, recognised alongside Sreeshankar in CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's congratulatory post.
How many medals did India win at the 2022 Commonwealth Games?
India won 61 medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, finishing fourth overall in the medal tally.
Why did Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulate CWG 2026 athletes?
As Assam Chief Minister and a senior BJP leader, Sarma regularly uses his platform to celebrate Indian sporting achievements, associating national pride with his public profile under hashtags like #Cheer4Bharat.
