The much-awaited athletics events at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games begin today. India has high hopes for medals, with key players like long jumper M. Sreeshankar and swimmer Sajan Prakash competing on the first day.

Glasgow: The wait is finally over! The track and field events at the Commonwealth Games are all set to kick off today. On the very first day, all eyes will be on Kerala's long jump star, M. Sreeshankar.

Let's be real, athletics is the main event of any Games, and the excitement is huge. As the action begins in Glasgow, Team India is hoping to get on the medal tally right from day one. Later tonight, at 11:40 PM Indian time, our high jump trio—Sarvesh Kushare, Adarsh Ram Jyoti, and Tejaswin Shankar—will be in action.

The Indian camp has big hopes for Sarvesh, who recently made history in Monaco. He became the first Indian ever to get a podium finish in high jump at the prestigious Diamond League. He also reached the finals at last year's World Athletics Championships. What's more, Sarvesh is the first Indian to clear the 2.3-metre mark in high jump.

In the long jump qualification rounds today, everyone will be watching Kerala's M. Sreeshankar. He's a strong contender, having won a silver medal at the last Commonwealth Games. Sreeshankar will compete in Group A, while Lokesh Sathyanathan will be in Group B.

India's fastest man, Gurindervir Singh, is also hitting the track today. He will compete in the fourth heat of the 100-metre first round. Gurindervir recently smashed the national record at the Federation Cup in Ranchi. He became the first Indian to finish the 100-metre race in under 10.01 seconds.

Over at the pool, another star from Kerala, Sajan Prakash, will have his first race of the Games. His heats for his favourite event, the 200-metre butterfly, are scheduled for 3 PM. A strong performance could see him qualify for the final, which is set for the early hours of the morning.

In boxing, Gyaneshwari Yadav will fight for gold in the 53 kg women's final at 5:30 PM. Meanwhile, Sachin, Ankush, Sakshi, and Sumit will all be competing in their quarter-final bouts.

In weightlifting, Valluri Ajay Babu and Bindyarani Devi will be competing in their final events. Besides these, India also has athletes competing today in Lawn Bowls, Para Swimming, Para Athletics, and Wheelchair Basketball.