Nirupama Devi Seram recently grabbed headlines as she became the first Indian athlete who was marked DNF (Did not finish) at Glasgow. Her attempt of lifting 123 kgs to finish at the podium saw a heartbreaking trend as Seram didn't even finish as the third runner up at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Seram had lifted a total of 221kg at her best. This ultimately lifted people’s expectations from her when she went to the Commonwealth Games for the first time with the hope of securing her spot on the medal podium.
In the women’s 63kg competition at the Commonwealth Games, the Manipur origin athlete could lift 93 kgs in snatch which put her in a good position before the second half. The competition has two parts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Athletes have to lift weights in both parts to get a score. However, she faced immense competition from the talented athletes from all over the world. One of them was Maude Charron from Canada. She was the champion of weightlifting in the given category.
Already lifting 93kg of weight should have been an advantage to Devi; however she couldn't finish even as the second runner-up as her team had set up a target of 123kg for the podium finish. She stumbled upon her first lift, returned but couldn't perform in the second or third attempt as well. No single clean lift led the judges to mark her as DNF (Did Not Finish), ending her dreams of winning the medal for India.
While the Canadian athlete lifted a weight of 102 kg in snatch and 130 in clean jerks. England's Sarah Davies Small finished as the runner-up after lifting 217kg in clean jerk. Nauru's Femily-Crystie Notte took third with 216kg.
India's medal tally at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
India has delivered a strong performance at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, currently occupying the eighth position with 10 medals, consisting of two golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. Despite a pared-down sporting roster dropping major medal-yielding disciplines like wrestling and badminton, India’s 122-member contingent has excelled. Weightlifting remains the chief powerhouse, accounting for six medals.
Legendary lifter Mirabai Chanu headlined the campaign by securing India's first gold, registering an incredible hat-trick of consecutive CWG titles in the women’s 48kg category. Further weightlifting success came through silvers from Rishikanta Singh, Muthupandi Raja, Gyaneshwari Yadav, and Valluri Ajaya Babu, alongside a bronze from Bindyarani Devi.
Meanwhile, para-athletics produced historic, emotional milestones. Sharmila Dhankar shattered a 20-year drought to capture India's second gold medal with a stellar season-best throw in the women's shot put F57 event. She was joined on the podium by teammate Shilpa Shyla, who claimed bronze to seal India’s first-ever double podium in the discipline. Additionally, Sarvesh Kushare clinched a thrilling silver in the men’s high jump, while Jhandu Kumar opened India's account earlier with a para-powerlifting bronze.
