Selva Prabhu has disclosed that he competed through food poisoning at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The athlete mentioned that the illness left him unable to challenge for the men's triple jump title despite believing he had the distance to secure gold.
Notably, the Tamil Nadu athlete returned with the bronze medal after recording 16.52m in the final. Fellow Indian Praveen Chithravel finished second with 16.58m, while Scotland's Jordon Scott claimed the gold medal with a winning leap of 16.72m.
After arriving back from Glasgow on Monday, August 3, Selva said physical illness affected him during the competition but did not stop him from taking part in the final.
“I wish I should have gotten that gold. I was really hoping for gold but what can be done when the competition begins, there is illness and food poisoning. I feel that in the end, there is always a cost to yourself. I am mentally tough so I decided, whatever happens, I will do it. Keep pushing myself,” Selva told PTI.
I just always want to stay healthy: Selva
Selva, whose personal best stands at 17.05m, indicated that he believes he was capable of producing a significantly better performance under normal circumstances. He said remaining healthy on the day of competition would have given him a stronger opportunity to surpass the winning mark and contend for the top step of the podium.
“I should have stayed healthy, but it's for the next time I'm always ready. I can compete more, stay healthy. It's about the stage. I have the consistency. It's all about that particular day. I just always want to stay healthy. Now, I want to work on my approach. Once I get the hang of it, I can do it," he added.
Attention has now shifted to the next phase of the season, with Selva making it clear that qualification for the 2026 Asian Games is his immediate objective rather than looking too far ahead.
“I live each day. Each day requires a new performance. You just cannot target a gold like that. Yes, I am now looking forward to qualifying for the Asian Games first and then taking it from there,” he said.
Selva strengthened his case for selection by placing third at the National Inter-State Championships with a jump of 16.79m, exceeding the Athletics Federation of India's Asian Games qualifying standard of 16.28m. However, with only two competitors permitted from each country in every event, his place in the Indian team will depend on the federation's final selection, which has not yet been announced.
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