Dilip Gavit dedicates CWG gold medal to his coach Vaijanath Kale

GLASGOW: Fresh off winning the Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal with a Games record run, Indian para-athlete Dilip Mahadu Gavit dedicated his triumph to his coach Vaijanath Kale on Guru Purnima, crediting the mentor who spotted his talent while he was working on his family’s farm and transformed his sporting career.

Gavit scripted history on Day 7 of the Commonwealth Games 2026 by winning the men’s T47 100m gold in a Games record time of 10.71 seconds, leading India to a memorable one-two finish as compatriot Mohammed Basil Morssinganakth claimed the silver medal in 10.83 seconds. England’s Kevin Santos took bronze in 10.85 seconds.

Reflecting on his victory, Gavit said, “The start was a bit slow. Later, I picked up speed. I’ll do even better next time. I had to run the 100-meter dash only. Usually, I run the 400 meters; that’s my main event. But here, I ran the 100 meters, and I really enjoyed the race. I come from a small village, Toran Dongari (Nashik). Initially, I was doing farm work in the village. Then, my sir (Vaijanath Kale) saw me running and asked me to come to Nashik for training. He said he would handle everything, including the expenses. Today is Guru Purnima, so this medal is a gift for my Guru.”

#WATCH | Glasgow, Scotland, On winning gold medal at 2026 Commonwealth Games, Para-athlete Dilip Mahadu Gavit says, “The start was a bit slow. Later, I picked up speed. I’ll do even better next time… I had to run the 100-meter dash. Usually, I run the 400 meters; that’s my main… https://t.co/MtDbqZLkQn pic.twitter.com/LHf3lnuUv3

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The emotional tribute capped a remarkable journey for the para-sprinter from Toran Dongari village in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. Coming from a financially struggling rural family of five, Gavit’s dreams of pursuing athletics appeared distant until coach Kale recognised his potential and took responsibility for his training and expenses.

Gavit, whose right arm is amputated below the elbow, studied at Shahid Bhagat Singh School in Surgana tehsil before taking up athletics seriously under Kale’s guidance. He is currently supported by Olympic Gold Quest and has emerged as one of India’s leading para-sprinters despite the challenges of his upbringing.

Gavit’s coach, Vaijanath Kale, said, “We certainly had high hopes. We were aiming for a record, but unfortunately, the start wasn’t quite right due to the weather conditions here. However, sticking to the plan and strategy, he managed to pick up the pace exactly as needed after the first 50 meters. Basically, Dilip’s main event is the 400 meters. Unfortunately, the 400-meter sprint wasn’t included in the Commonwealth Games, so we switched him to the 100-meter event. He qualified in the 100 meters and went on to win gold in it as well.”

Gavit’s gold was India’s third at the Glasgow Games and formed part of a historic Indian sweep in the men’s T47 100m, with Basil producing a strong finish to secure the silver medal. The twin podium finish added two more medals to India’s tally, which stood at 15 at the end of Day 7 — three gold, nine silver and three bronze — as the country’s athletes continued an impressive campaign in Glasgow.

India’s medallists so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women’s shot put F57), Dilip Mahadu Gavit (gold, men’s T47 100m), Mohammed Basil Morssinganakth (silver, men’s T47 100m), Murali Sreeshankar (silver, men’s long jump), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men’s high jump), Gulveer Singh (silver, men’s 10,000m), Harjinder Kaur (silver, weightlifting), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting), Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, women’s shot put F57) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting). (ANI)