Recently, it was announced that badminton, shooting, cricket, hockey, squash, table tennis, wrestling, triathlon, and archery will be dropped from the 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in Glasgow. Only 10 events will be featured in this edition, including athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and basketball. The competitions will be held across four venues, with additional events planned for para-athletes.
Initially, Australia was set to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. However, the Australian government pulled out of organising the event last year, leading to the decision to relocate the games to Glasgow, Scotland. The previous Commonwealth Games took place in Birmingham, England, in 2022, featuring 19 sports, where India bagged medals in 12 of these events, though archery and shooting were already excluded from that edition.
India’s Medal dominance in Commonwealth games
India has had notable success in the Commonwealth Games, particularly in sports like hockey, wrestling, badminton, and shooting. So far, the country has amassed a total of 286 medals in these sports, including 149 gold. Badminton has contributed 31 medals, comprising 10 gold, 8 silver, and 13 bronze. Shooting has been one of India’s strongest areas, with a total of 135 medals (63 gold, 44 silver, and 28 bronze).
Wrestling has also brought glory, with 114 medals (49 gold, 39 silver, and 26 bronze). In men’s hockey, India has secured 3 silver and 2 bronze medals, while the women’s team made history by winning gold in 2002 and securing three Commonwealth medals in total.
Hockey’s Commonwealth journey since 1998
Field hockey became a part of the Commonwealth Games in 1998, and Australia has been the dominant force in both men’s and women’s events. The Australian men’s team has won gold seven times, while the women’s team has claimed four gold medals, alongside a silver and a bronze.
India’s men’s hockey team has won silver in 2010, 2014, and 2022, losing to Australia in each final. The Indian women’s team clinched gold in 2002 and followed it up with silver in 2006 and bronze in 2022.
India’s performance at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games
India had a good campaign at the 2022 Birmingham Games, winning a total of 61 medals, including 22 gold. Wrestling brought in the highest medal count with 12, followed by weightlifting (10), athletics (8), and boxing and table tennis (7 each). The Indian women’s cricket team also made history by winning a silver medal.
Compared to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, where India won 66 medals, there was a slight dip in the 2022 tally. India secured 26 golds in 2018, which dropped to 22 golds in 2022. One of the key factors in this decline was the exclusion of shooting, a sport where India had won 16 medals in 2018. Despite its absence, India performed admirably in other sports.
How Many Medals Can India Win at Glasgow 2026?
India’s prospects for the 2026 Commonwealth Games face a significant challenge, as 30 of the 61 medals won in 2022 came from sports that will not feature in Glasgow. At the 2022 Games, India sent a contingent of 210 athletes across 16 sports. With boxing, judo, and weightlifting included in the 2026 edition, hopes rest on these sports despite recent underwhelming performances at the Olympics.
While the number of medals from these sports may be reduced, India’s athletics contingent has shown consistent improvement. Along with the nation’s lawn bowls champions, there is optimism that India could still secure around 20-25 medals in Glasgow 2026.
PV Sindhu, Manika Batra and many more to miss out
Olympic medalists like PV Sindhu, Bajrang Punia, and the Indian men’s hockey team are the most notable omissions. Emerging wrestling talents such as Aman Sehrawat, Nisha Dahiya and Antim Panghal, would have likely secured medals at the Commonwealth Games (CWG), but they will be missing out as well.
This edition of the Commonwealth Games will not feature table tennis, a sport where India has traditionally excelled. The absence of players like Manika Batra, Ayhika Mukherjee, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Sreeja Akula, Sharath Kamal, Manav Thakkar, and Harmeet Desai has reduced the opportunity for a powerful medal haul for the country.
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