​Podium finish: On India at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

Podium finish: On India at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

India’s women boxers were the highlight of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

In the truncated (shortened in duration or extent; cut short, abbreviated, curtailed, reduced) Commonwealth Games (an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, aimed at promoting sporting excellence and unity) in Glasgow (a city in Scotland which is set to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games; Scottish city), India performed well, exceeding (पार करना, अपेक्षा से अधिक होना) expectations (अपेक्षा, उम्मीद) and retaining (बनाए रखना, बरकरार रखना) fourth place behind (पीछे, से पीछे) developed nations (विकसित राष्ट्र, उन्नत देश) such as (जैसे, उदाहरण के लिए) Australia, England, and Canada, despite a sharp drop (गिरावट, कमी) in medals from 61 to 39, including 13 gold, 17 silver, and nine bronze. The gold rush (a rapid and significant accumulation of gold medals in a short period; sudden success, medal surge, winning streak, swift accumulation of gold medals) on the penultimate day (अंतिम से एक दिन पहले), powered (drive, fuel, energize, propel) by the spectacular (शानदार, अत्यंत प्रभावशाली) performance (प्रदर्शन) of the boxers who won seven gold and three silver medals, improved India’s position (स्थान, रैंक). While some weight classes (भार वर्ग, वजन की श्रेणियाँ) had weaker draws (the selection process that determines which competitors will play against each other in a tournament; fixture, match-up, pairing), several categories posed (उत्पन्न करना, खड़ा करना) strong challenges. Propelled (आगे बढ़ाना, आगे ले जाना) by determination (resolution, resolve, willpower, perseverance) and hard work, five women boxers — Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Priya Ghanghas, and Arundhati Choudhary — and two men, Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal, ensured India’s best-ever (finest, unparalleled, supreme, record-breaking) showing (the performance or display of an achievement; display, exhibition, demonstration, presentation) of 10 medals, three more than that in the last edition (iteration, version, chapter). The women boxers’ fearless (lacking fear; brave, courageous, intrepid, bold) approach established (to achieve permanent acceptance or recognition for someone or something; cement, confirm, prove, validate) them as a force to reckon with (a person or thing that is powerful and cannot be ignored; formidable opponent, strong contender, powerful entity, major threat). India won 16 medals in athletics and para-athletics (the sport of athletics practiced by people with a disability), with notable (remarkable, significant, prominent, important) contributions (effort, input, role) from para-athletes Dilip Gavit, Soman Rana, and Sharmila Dhankar. In world-class fields (area of activity, study, or expertise; discipline, category), the country’s athletes won 10 medals compared to eight in Birmingham 2022. Neeraj Chopra recovered from injury to take a creditable (deserving public acknowledgment and praise but not necessarily outstanding; commendable, praiseworthy, respectable, admirable) silver and lead the country to twin-medal glory in javelin along with (together with, accompanied by, in conjunction with, besides) Yashvir Singh and underlined (highlight, emphasize, stress, underscore, draw attention to) India’s rising status as a javelin powerhouse (a person, organization, or country that has a lot of energy, power, or success; dominant force, juggernaut, giant, titan). Other moments to cherish (treasure, appreciate, admire, hold dear, value) included triple jumpers Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu’s twin podium (मंच, पदक मंच) finishes, Gulveer Singh becoming the first Indian to medal in 5000m and 10000m, Murali Sreeshankar winning his second straight (consecutive, successive, continuous, uninterrupted) long jump silver, Tejaswin Shankar claiming (to gain or win something; secure, win, achieve, capture) the country’s first-ever (happening for the first time in history; unprecedented, inaugural, original, maiden) decathlon medal, and Sarvesh Kushare pocketing (secure, bag, win) a high jump silver.

Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh sprang a surprise by winning the country’s first gold medals in judo, while Mirabai Chanu lived up to her billing (the reputation or status that a person or event is given by the public or media; expectation, reputation, hype, standing) to clinch (to decisively secure a victory, deal, or medal; secure, seal, guarantee, win) her third successive (consecutive, sequential, continuous, straight) gold medal. She led Indian lifters to a significant haul (a quantity of something that has been won or collected; collection, yield, tally, harvest) of eight medals. The country’s strong show, against an expectation of around 30 medals, helped the contingent (a group of people representing a country or organization at an event; delegation, team, deputation, squad) leave Glasgow on a high (in a state of great happiness, success, or excitement; ecstatic, triumphant, victorious, elated) as Ahmedabad prepares to host (organize, hold, stage, present) a bigger Games offering more medals in 2030. Indian athletes’ praiseworthy (deserving approval and admiration; commendable, laudable, admirable, creditable) performance in Glasgow has raised hopes for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games next month, where a bigger haul is expected from a wider range of disciplines (specific branches of knowledge, learning, or sports events; fields, categories). While India is capable of (having the ability, fitness, or quality necessary to do or achieve a specified thing; able to, competent to, qualified to, equipped to) securing impressive (magnificent, striking, awesome, extraordinary) medal collections at the Commonwealth and Asian Games, it needs to raise its level manifold (by many times or in many ways; greatly, multiply, numerously, significantly) to be counted among the best globally. Aspiring to host the 2036 Olympics, it must identify priority sports and invest in (to put time, effort, or money into something to make it successful; fund, support, finance, back) them to ensure a higher finish, even while waging (to carry on a war or campaign; conduct, carry out, execute, engage in) a perennial (enduring, everlasting, perpetual, continual) war against doping (the use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletic competitors; drug abuse in sports).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.podium (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मंच, पदक मंच
English Meaning - a small platform on which a person stands to be seen by an audience, as when receiving a medal; platform, stage, stand.

2.propel (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - आगे बढ़ाना, आगे ले जाना
English Meaning - to drive or push something forward; push forward, drive, motivate, spur.

3.exceed (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पार करना, अपेक्षा से अधिक होना
English Meaning - to be greater than, to go beyond what is expected; surpass, outdo, overstep, transcend.

4.expectation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अपेक्षा, उम्मीद
English Meaning - a strong belief that something will happen or be the case; anticipation, belief, hope, prospect.

5.retain (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बनाए रखना, बरकरार रखना
English Meaning - maintain, keep, preserve, hold onto.

6.behind (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - पीछे, से पीछे
English Meaning - in a position trailing or following someone or something; trailing, following, trailing behind, in the wake of.

7.developed nations (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विकसित राष्ट्र, उन्नत देश
English Meaning - sovereign states that have a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure; industrialized countries, advanced economies, first-world countries.

8.such as (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - जैसे, उदाहरण के लिए
English Meaning - for example; like, namely, specifically, including.

9.drop (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिरावट, कमी
English Meaning - a reduction, decline, decrease, fall.

10.penultimate day (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंतिम से एक दिन पहले
English Meaning - the day immediately before the last one; second to last day, semi-final day, next-to-last day.

11.spectacular (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - शानदार, अत्यंत प्रभावशाली
English Meaning - very impressive; amazing, breathtaking, remarkable, magnificent.

12.performance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रदर्शन
English Meaning - display, execution, showing, presentation.

13.position (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्थान, रैंक
English Meaning - ranking, standing, placement, status.

14.weight classes (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भार वर्ग, वजन की श्रेणियाँ
English Meaning - weight categories, weight divisions.

15.pose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उत्पन्न करना, खड़ा करना
English Meaning - to present or constitute a problem, danger, or difficulty; present, create, cause, produce.

16.Commonwealth Games (noun)

English Meaning - an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, aimed at promoting sporting excellence and unity.

17.Podium finish (noun)

English Meaning - a result in a competition where a competitor finishes in first, second, or third place; top-three finish, medal placement, top placement, medal-winning performance.

18.Glasgow (noun)

English Meaning - a city in Scotland which is set to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games; Scottish city.

19.the Commonwealth of Nations (noun)

English Meaning - a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign countries, most of which are former territories of the British Empire, that cooperate to promote democracy, development, peace, human rights, and economic collaboration.

20.truncated (adjective)

English Meaning - shortened in duration or extent; cut short, abbreviated, curtailed, reduced.

21.gold rush (noun)

English Meaning - a rapid and significant accumulation of gold medals in a short period; sudden success, medal surge, winning streak, swift accumulation of gold medals.

22.penultimate (adjective)

English Meaning - being second to the last in a series; next-to-last, second-last.

23.power (verb)

English Meaning - drive, fuel, energize, propel.

24.draw (noun)

English Meaning - the selection process that determines which competitors will play against each other in a tournament; fixture, match-up, pairing.

25.determination (noun)

English Meaning - resolution, resolve, willpower, perseverance.

26.best-ever (adjective)

English Meaning - finest, unparalleled, supreme, record-breaking.

27.showing (noun)

English Meaning - the performance or display of an achievement; display, exhibition, demonstration, presentation.

28.edition (noun)

English Meaning - iteration, version, chapter.

29.fearless (adjective)

English Meaning - lacking fear; brave, courageous, intrepid, bold.

30.establish (verb)

English Meaning - to achieve permanent acceptance or recognition for someone or something; cement, confirm, prove, validate.

31.a force to reckon with (phrase)

English Meaning - a person or thing that is powerful and cannot be ignored; formidable opponent, strong contender, powerful entity, major threat.

32.para-athletics (noun)

English Meaning - the sport of athletics practiced by people with a disability.

33.notable (adjective)

English Meaning - remarkable, significant, prominent, important.

34.contribution (noun)

English Meaning - effort, input, role.

35.field (noun)

English Meaning - area of activity, study, or expertise; discipline, category.

36.creditable (adjective)

English Meaning - deserving public acknowledgment and praise but not necessarily outstanding; commendable, praiseworthy, respectable, admirable.

37.along with (phrase)

English Meaning - together with, accompanied by, in conjunction with, besides.

38.underline (verb)

English Meaning - highlight, emphasize, stress, underscore, draw attention to.

39.powerhouse (noun)

English Meaning - a person, organization, or country that has a lot of energy, power, or success; dominant force, juggernaut, giant, titan.

40.cherish (verb)

English Meaning - treasure, appreciate, admire, hold dear, value.

41.straight (adjective)

English Meaning - consecutive, successive, continuous, uninterrupted.

42.claim (verb)

English Meaning - to gain or win something; secure, win, achieve, capture.

43.first-ever (adjective)

English Meaning - happening for the first time in history; unprecedented, inaugural, original, maiden.

44.pocket (verb)

English Meaning - secure, bag, win.

45.spring a surprise (phrase)

English Meaning - to do something unexpected; cause a shock, do the unexpected, startle, astonish.

46.live up to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to fulfill expectations or perform as well as hoped; fulfill, satisfy, meet, match.

47.billing (noun)

English Meaning - the reputation or status that a person or event is given by the public or media; expectation, reputation, hype, standing.

48.clinch (verb)

English Meaning - to decisively secure a victory, deal, or medal; secure, seal, guarantee, win.

49.successive (adjective)

English Meaning - consecutive, sequential, continuous, straight.

50.haul (noun)

English Meaning - a quantity of something that has been won or collected; collection, yield, tally, harvest.

51.contingent (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people representing a country or organization at an event; delegation, team, deputation, squad.

52.on a high (phrase)

English Meaning - in a state of great happiness, success, or excitement; ecstatic, triumphant, victorious, elated.

53.host (verb)

English Meaning - organize, hold, stage, present.

54.praiseworthy (adjective)

English Meaning - deserving approval and admiration; commendable, laudable, admirable, creditable.

55.disciplines (noun)

English Meaning - specific branches of knowledge, learning, or sports events; fields, categories.

56.capable of (phrase)

English Meaning - having the ability, fitness, or quality necessary to do or achieve a specified thing; able to, competent to, qualified to, equipped to.

57.secure (verb)

English Meaning - to succeed in obtaining or achieving something; achieve, obtain, acquire, gain.

58.impressive (adjective)

English Meaning - magnificent, striking, awesome, extraordinary.

59.manifold (adverb)

English Meaning - by many times or in many ways; greatly, multiply, numerously, significantly.

60.count among (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to include or classify someone or something within a specific group; include with, number among, classify as, regard as.

61.aspire to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to direct one’s hopes or ambitions towards achieving something; aim for, desire, hope for, yearn for.

62.invest in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to put time, effort, or money into something to make it successful; fund, support, finance, back.

63.wage (verb)

English Meaning - to carry on a war or campaign; conduct, carry out, execute, engage in.

64.perennial (adjective)

English Meaning - enduring, everlasting, perpetual, continual.

65.doping (noun)

English Meaning - the use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletic competitors; drug abuse in sports.