Day 8 of the Commonwealth Games 2026 is expected to be one of India's busiest and most important days, with Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra returning to international competition in the men's javelin throw qualifying round. The Indian star will begin his campaign with the immediate objective of securing a place in the final, where he will look to add another major medal to his already decorated career. Last year, Chopra achieved a milestone that had long remained on his checklist by breaching the 90-metre mark for the first time. His personal best throw of 90.23 metres at the Doha Diamond League ended years of speculation over the elusive distance. Since then, the 27-year-old has maintained that winning medals, rather than chasing distances, is now his primary goal. Alongside Neeraj, Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh will also compete in the javelin qualification, giving India three strong contenders in the event.

India will also have multiple medal opportunities across athletics and weightlifting during the day. In weightlifting, Martina Devi Maibam will compete in the women's 86kg+ final, while Lovepreet Singh will challenge for a medal in the men's 110kg+ final. Athletics will feature several Indian medal hopefuls, including Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill in the men's shot put final. Seema Kaliramna and Nidhi Rani will represent India in the women's discus throw final, while long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary will target a podium finish in the women's 5000m final. All these events are expected to play a crucial role in India's medal tally as the Games move into the decisive stages.

Apart from the medal events, Indian athletes will remain busy throughout the day in qualification rounds and semifinals. Tejaswin Shankar begins another demanding day in the decathlon with the 100 metres, followed by the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 metres. Triple jumpers Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu will compete in the qualifying round, while Vishal TK will run in the men's 400m semifinal and Animesh Kujur will take part in the men's 200m semifinal later in the night. India will also be represented in track cycling, where the men's team pursuit squad will compete in the qualification round and could return for the final if they progress. In lawn bowls, the men's pairs team of Dinesh Kumar and Navneet Singh will face Botswana in sectional play, while Nayanmoni Saikia will take on Malaysia's Emma Firyana Saroji in the women's singles competition. With medal events spread across athletics and weightlifting and several qualification rounds featuring top Indian athletes, Day 8 promises to be one of the biggest tests of India's campaign in Glasgow, with Neeraj Chopra's return expected to attract the biggest attention.

The biggest focus will be on weightlifter Sanjana, who will compete in the women's 77kg final with hopes of adding another gold medal to India's tally. India has already enjoyed a successful campaign in weightlifting, collecting seven medals, including two golds, and Sanjana will aim to continue that momentum.

The women's 77kg final is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm, while the men's 94kg and women's 86kg medal events will also take place later in the day.

Sachin Siwach One Victory Away from Assured Medal

Indian boxing will witness an important day as six boxers enter quarter-final action. The spotlight will be on Sachin Siwach, who faces Botswana's boxer in the men's 60kg division.

A victory will guarantee Sachin at least a bronze medal because both losing semi-finalists receive bronze medals under Commonwealth Games boxing regulations.

Women's boxer Sakshi Chaudhary will open India's campaign in the 51kg quarter-finals against an opponent from Northern Ireland. Arundhati Chaudhary will later compete in the women's 70kg category against a New Zealand boxer.

In the men's events, Ankush Yadav will contest the 80kg quarter-final against a boxer from Seychelles, while Narendra Barwal will face Samoa in the men's 90kg+ division.

Jasmine Lamboria will conclude India's boxing schedule with her women's 57kg quarter-final against England.

Athletics Offers Multiple Medal Chances

India's athletics contingent will also have a busy day featuring several medal contenders.

National record holder Murali Sreeshankar will headline the men's long jump final alongside Lokesh Satyanathan. Sreeshankar enters the event as one of India's strongest medal hopes after consistently performing at major international competitions over the past two seasons.

Women's shot put athlete Manpreet Kaur will compete in the final later in the evening, while long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary will challenge for medals in the women's 3000m steeplechase final.

Earlier in the day, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill will compete in the men's shot put qualification round.

Indian sprinter Animesh Kujur will begin his campaign in the men's 200m heats.

In para athletics, Devendra Kumar and Sagar Thayat will compete in the men's discus throw F42-44/F61-64 final, while Mohammad Basil M and Dilip Mahadu Gavit will participate in the men's 100m T47 final.

Swimming and Para Swimming Schedule

Swimming will begin with Sajan Prakash and Aneesh S Gowda competing in the men's 200m freestyle heats. If they qualify, they will return later in the evening for the medal race.

Aryan Nehra will compete directly in the men's 1500m freestyle final, where India will hope for another strong finish.

In para swimming, Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Chaitanya Vishwas Kulkarni will participate in the men's 50m freestyle S7 heats. Qualification would see both swimmers return for the final later in the day.

India Looking to Climb Medal Table

India enters Day 6 with 12 medals overall following another productive day that featured historic performances in athletics and weightlifting.

With medal opportunities spread across multiple sports, Indian officials will be optimistic about improving the country's overall standing in the Commonwealth Games medal table as competition continues in Glasgow.