Indian triple jumper Selva Prabhu believes food poisoning cost him the opportunity to win the gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, saying he competed despite illness and fell short of the top spot. The Tamil Nadu athlete secured the bronze medal in the men's triple jump with a best effort of 16.52 metres, finishing behind compatriot Praveen Chithravel and Scotland's Jordon Scott. Despite reaching the podium, Selva said he was disappointed as he felt he had the ability to claim the title under normal circumstances.

Speaking after returning from Glasgow, Selva revealed that he suffered from food poisoning shortly before the competition, which affected his physical condition during the event. He said he had entered the Games aiming for the gold medal but chose to compete despite being unwell. According to the athlete, mental resilience helped him push through the illness, although he acknowledged that it ultimately impacted his performance on the day of the final.

Selva finished with a jump of 16.52 metres, while fellow Indian Praveen Chithravel claimed the silver medal with 16.58 metres. Scotland's Jordon Scott won the gold medal after registering a best jump of 16.72 metres. Selva pointed out that his personal best of 17.05 metres is significantly higher than the winning mark, reinforcing his belief that he could have secured the gold had he been fully fit during the competition.

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Reflecting on the result, Selva said maintaining good health remains the most important factor in achieving consistent performances. He expressed confidence in his ability to compete at the highest level and added that he now plans to refine his approach technique to improve further. The Commonwealth Games medallist stressed that consistency has never been his concern and that performing at his peak depends largely on remaining healthy before major competitions.

Looking ahead, Selva said he is focused on qualifying for the upcoming Asian Games rather than setting medal targets too early. He explained that his approach is to take each competition one step at a time, concentrating first on securing selection before thinking about podium finishes. The athlete recently finished third at the National Inter-State Championships with a jump of 16.79 metres, comfortably surpassing the Asian Games qualifying standard of 16.28 metres.

However, India's athletics selection policy allows only two athletes per event at the Asian Games, making competition for places highly competitive. The Athletics Federation of India is yet to announce the final athletics squad for the Games in Japan. Despite the disappointment of missing out on Commonwealth Games gold, Selva remains optimistic about the future and is determined to build on his bronze-medal performance as he prepares for the next major international challenge.

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