Kishan Reddy hails Sreeshankar's CWG 2026 silver, first Indian to win two CWG long jump medals
Synopsis
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy congratulated Murali Sreeshankar on winning silver in the Men's Long Jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, hailing him as the first Indian long jumper to win two Commonwealth Games medals and a symbol of India's rising stature in field events.
Key Takeaways
Murali Sreeshankar won the silver medal in the Men's Long Jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games .
He is now the first Indian long jumper to win two Commonwealth Games medals, having also won silver at the 2022 Birmingham CWG .
Kishan Reddy congratulated Sreeshankar on 30 July 2026 , calling the feat a historic milestone for Indian athletics.
Sreeshankar's back-to-back medals reflect a broader decade-long rise of Indian athletes in field events at Commonwealth and Asian competitions.
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now looms as the next major target for Sreeshankar's continued medal ambitions.
A long jumper from Kerala just rewrote the record books in Glasgow — and Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy was among the first to mark the moment. On Thursday, 30 July 2026, the minister took to X to congratulate Murali Sreeshankar on claiming the silver medal in the Men's Long Jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, saluting him as the first Indian long jumper to win two Commonwealth Games medals.
Sreeshankar's place in Indian athletics history
Murali Sreeshankar had already broken ground at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where he won silver in the men's long jump — the first major CWG medal for an Indian in that discipline. His 2026 Glasgow silver now makes him a two-time Commonwealth medallist, a feat no Indian long jumper has achieved before. Reddy's post captured it plainly: 'By becoming the first Indian long jumper to win two Commonwealth Games medals, you have once again scripted history for Indian athletics.'
A decade of incremental gains on the field
Sreeshankar's back-to-back medals are not an accident — they sit atop a decade of steady improvement by Indian track-and-field athletes at Commonwealth and Asian-level competitions. Field events, long underpowered in India's sporting calendar, have quietly become a source of consistent podium finishes. Reddy's congratulatory note pointed to exactly this arc, calling the silver a reaffirmation of 'India's growing stature in field events.'
For a country whose athletics identity has long been shaped by middle-distance running and javelin, a two-time CWG long jump medallist is a genuinely new chapter.
Eyes on the 2028 Olympics
The logical next question writes itself: can Sreeshankar carry this form to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? Commonwealth medals build ranking points and competitive rhythm, and two silvers in successive Games signal a sustained competitive level rather than a one-off peak. Reddy closed his message wishing the athlete 'continued success and many more milestones in the years ahead' — a line that lands with more weight given what Sreeshankar has already delivered.
India's long jump has a new standard-bearer. Glasgow just made it official.
Point of View
Once an afterthought, are now producing consistent podium performers. Ministerial recognition from a senior BJP figure like Kishan Reddy also signals that the government is keen to be associated with sporting milestones, particularly ahead of the 2028 Olympic cycle. For India's athletics ecosystem, back-to-back CWG medals in the long jump are both a validation of athlete-support programmes and a benchmark that raises expectations for Los Angeles. The applause is warranted; the pressure that follows it is real.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Murali Sreeshankar?
Murali Sreeshankar is an Indian long jumper who won silver at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and again at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Indian long jumper to win two CWG medals.
What medal did Sreeshankar win at CWG 2026?
Sreeshankar won the silver medal in the Men's Long Jump event at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Why is Sreeshankar's CWG 2026 silver historic?
It makes him the first Indian long jumper ever to win two Commonwealth Games medals, having previously won silver at the 2022 Birmingham CWG.
Who is G. Kishan Reddy?
G. Kishan Reddy is India's Union Minister of Coal and Mines and the BJP's Telangana state president. He congratulated Sreeshankar on X on 30 July 2026.
What is next for Sreeshankar after CWG 2026?
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is the next major milestone for Sreeshankar, with his back-to-back CWG silvers building strong momentum toward a potential Olympic campaign.
