Abdulla Aboobacker eyes back-to-back medals at 2026 CWG in Glasgow

The countdown for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has begun and India’s top athletes are gearing up for the multi-sport event. Among them is a 30-year-old triple jumper from Kerala, Abdulla Aboobacker. The 30-year-old is looking to build on his impressive performance in Birmingham.

India won 66 medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Aboobacker was among them. He claimed the silver medal in the men’s triple jump with a best effort of 17.02 metres in his fifth attempt. That event proved historic for India. Aboobacker and Eldhose Paul delivered the country’s first-ever 1-2 finish in Commonwealth Games athletics.

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The moment could have been even bigger, but Praveen Chithravel narrowly missed out on a podium with a fourth-place finish. Now, Aboobacker has his sights set on going one step further. The 30-year-old had an inconsistent season last year but has shown signs of regaining form.

He began his 2026 season with jumps of 16.82 metres and 16.83 metres, performances that have given him confidence ahead of the Glasgow Games, which are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2.

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“I am not looking at the distance. I am just trying to make amends for my mistakes. If I do that, my distance and performance will be increased, and I will at least be on the podium. That is my target (in 2026 CWG)," Aboobacker told PTI in an interview on Tuesday.

“I did 17.02m in the 2022 CWG. Before that, no one knew my history. I worked so hard to get there. I corrected my mistakes. I did everything."