Indian hurdler Tejas Ashok Shirse qualified for the men’s 110m hurdles final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after finishing third in Heat 1 to secure automatic qualification on the opening day of athletics competition.
The 24-year-old recovered well after a modest start to clock 13.76 seconds, finishing behind Jamaica’s Jerome Campbell (13.33s) and England’s Samuel Bennett (13.20s).
Under the qualification format, the top three finishers from each of the two heats advanced directly to the final, along with the next two fastest athletes overall. By finishing third, Shirse sealed his place without having to rely on his time.
Tejas Shirse clocks 13.76s to book his place in the Men’s 110m Hurdles Final – becoming the first Indian since Gurbachan Singh Randhawa (1966) to reach the Commonwealth Games final. 👏
Watch him in the Final on 28th July, 2:15 AM, LIVE & EXCUSIVE on Sony Sports Network TV… pic.twitter.com/AQzp8JSH6I
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 27, 2026
Shirse eyes podium after composed heat
Although Shirse’s time was slower than his personal best of 13.27 seconds, it was enough to keep his medal hopes alive as he advanced to the final, scheduled for 2:15 AM IST on Tuesday.
The qualification continued a positive start for India’s athletics contingent after long jumper Murali Sreeshankar also progressed to the final with a first-attempt leap of 8.01m.
However, there was disappointment in the men’s 100m, where national record-holder Gurindervir Singh failed to advance beyond the heats after clocking 10.39 seconds.
Shirse will now look to produce his fastest race of the season as he bids for a Commonwealth Games medal.