CWG 2026: Tejaswin Shankar ruled out of high jump due to knee injury
Tejaswin Shankar suffers a flare-up
India’s Tejaswin Shankar saw his hopes of winning a second consecutive Commonwealth Games medal end in heartbreak after being forced to withdraw from the men’s high jump event due to injury on Monday.
The 27-year-old Birmingham 2022 CWG bronze medallist was one of India’s biggest medal contenders in athletics at the Glasgow Games. However, a recurring knee injury cut short his campaign on the opening night.
Related: Commonwealth Games 2026: India’s medal tally after Day 4, 27th July
According to the Indian athlete, he suffered a flare-up of his long-standing patellar tendon problem during the warm-up of the high jump event. Despite being in pain, Shankar attempted to soldier through, even clearing his first attempt.
However, his injury forced him to withdraw from the event, ending his CWG campaign.
“I felt a shooting pain in my knee. It happened during my warm-up,” Shankar told PTI after the event. “It’s nothing new; I have always had tendonitis in my knees. I don’t think there is any high jumper who doesn’t have it. That’s why it’s called jumper’s knee. Everyone manages it, and so do I.”
Related: Why did Tejaswin Shankar withdraw from men’s high jump final at Commonwealth Games 2026?
Injury withdrawal ‘really stings’, says Tejaswin Shankar
The New Delhi native, who also has an Asian Games silver medal, revealed his disappointment in having to withdraw due to the injury. After months of preparations, Shankar was in tears following his inability to continue in the tournament.
“It’s one of those days. You want just one day in a year when you don’t have that pain, but it came on that day only. It really stings,” Shankar said.
“In these conditions, I was really confident I could jump for a win, jump for a medal. I really knew I could win a medal. But to not even get through the first height, it stings because I was in really great shape.”
Despite having to withdraw from the tournament, Shankar stayed at the venue and helped his compatriot Sarvesh Kushare, offering him technical advice throughout the campaign. Kushare eventually secured the silver medal.
Decathlon still on the cards, confirms Tejaswin Shankar
After an injury setback had cut short his CWG campaign, Shankar confirmed that he remains optimistic about competing in the decathlon, which begins on Thursday. The Indian athlete confirmed that his immediate priority is recovering over the next two days.
“I will come back in two days. We still have two days,” he said. “I’ll give my best over the next two days and try and fix this. I will obviously start. I’m not here on vacation.”
“The patellar tendon is used in high jump and long jump, so if I’m somehow able to get by those two events, I’m still confident the other events will be fine. I am confident I will be able to fix this.”
Where and when will Commonwealth Games 2026 take place?
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
What happened to Tejaswin Shankar at Commonwealth Games 2026?
He was forced to withdraw from the men’s high jump event after suffering a flare‑up of his patellar tendon injury (jumper’s knee) during warm‑up.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.