"Built everything on my own": Praveen Chithravel after winning CWG 2026 silver

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Indian triple jumpers Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran achieved a historic double podium finish at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, securing silver and bronze medals respectively. Both athletes expressed great pride in their accomplishments while acknowledging the support of their families and training teams.

Speaking with ANI, Chithravel shared his joy at capturing silver, particularly after narrowly missing out on a medal four years ago.

“I’m really so happy to get the silver medal in the Commonwealth Games. In 2022, during my last Commonwealth Games, I lost the medal by 2 cm. So, right, I am happy to get the silver medal,” Chithravel said.

Despite tough weather conditions in Glasgow, Chithravel stayed determined to give a top-tier performance throughout the event.

“I didn’t have any pressure, but it’s too cold; my body doesn’t move, but I just keep trying to do my best. I always keep pushing myself to give the best,” he said.

Reflecting on his humble roots, Chithravel added, “My father is a farmer, and my mother is a housewife. I built everything on my own”.

With the Commonwealth campaign concluded, he has set his sights on the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

“Next, I am focusing on the Asian Games,” he added.

Selva Prabhu celebrates family dream with Bronze Medal

Bronze medalist Selva Prabhu Thirumaran expressed immense pride in fulfilling his family’s long-standing ambition of seeing him excel on the international stage.

“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,” he told ANI.

He emphasised that his primary motivation was delivering a strong performance for the country rather than chasing results alone.

“I was focused on the medal. I was more focused on performance. Getting a medal for India is a great thing,” he said.

Giving credit to his entire support group, he added, “I dedicate this medal to whoever supported me, my coaches, physios, teammates, friends, and family. They are always my backbone.”

Chithravel secured the silver medal with a best effort of 16.58m on his fourth trial, overcoming a modest start where he ranked fifth with an initial 16.05m jump before building up to his winning distance. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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