After an eight-year hiatus, Glasgow is set to host the Commonwealth Games once more, taking place from July 23 to August 2.
Event Context
India has a strong legacy at the Commonwealth Games, consistently performing well. Since 2002, the nation has secured a position in the top five of the medal standings, achieving a minimum of 50 medals at each event. However, this year, India arrives in Scotland with a streamlined team of 125 athletes, aiming for success in a reduced competition format featuring only 215 medal events.
The medal contributions remained substantial during the Gold Coast 2018 edition, with wrestling yielding 12 medals, table tennis contributing eight, and squash adding two. Notably, shooting, which had produced 16 medals that year, was excluded from the Birmingham competition due to logistical challenges.
Key medal contenders include reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria as well as Preeti Pawar, Sakshi Choudhary, and Arundhati Choudhary in women’s events. On the men’s side, Narender Berwal and World Cup medallist Sachin Siwach are among the leading competitors.
India’s campaign kicks off on July 23, showcasing pivotal events such as:
– Mirabai Chanu – Women’s 49kg final (6:30 PM IST)
– Sarvesh Kushare & Adarsh Ram – Men’s High Jump final (11:00 PM–2:15 AM IST)
– Murali Sreeshankar & Lokesh Satyanathan – Men’s Long Jump final*
– Parul Choudhary – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase final
– Parul Choudhary – Women’s 5000m final
– Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav & Yash Vir Singh – Men’s Javelin qualification (2:30 PM–8:00 PM IST)
– Men’s Javelin final* (11:00 PM–2:15 AM IST)
(*Subject to qualification)
On August 1–2, events in Boxing, Lawn Bowls, and Judo will take place.
A total of approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth Games Associations are set to compete in Glasgow, with strong participation from Australia, England, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and, of course, India.
The Commonwealth Games include nations and territories that belong to the Commonwealth of Nations, primarily comprising former British colonies.
Player Focus
This section provides an in-depth analysis of India’s achievements throughout its 19 participations in the Commonwealth Games.
Team Analysis
Although well-known athletes like PV Sindhu and teams from Indian hockey, table tennis, and wrestling are not participating due to program changes, India’s contingent will still be led by Olympic medalists Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain.
The team consists of 77 men and 48 women, including para athletes. The largest group comes from athletics, featuring 32 competitors, followed by boxing with 14, judo with 14, and weightlifting with 12 athletes.
Originally set to take place in Victoria, Australia, the 2026 Commonwealth Games faced a venue change when the host withdrew in 2023 due to rising costs. Subsequently, Glasgow was chosen as the alternative venue, utilizing much of the infrastructure from its successful hosting of the Games in 2014. However, with less than three years to prepare, the event has been scaled back significantly.
The number of sports has decreased from 20 in Birmingham 2022 to just 10 in Glasgow 2026, making it the smallest Commonwealth Games since 1994.
India is also counting on athletes like Sarvesh Kushare, Murali Sreeshankar, Praveen Chithravel, and the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams to enhance the medal count, especially after athletics brought home eight medals from Birmingham.
Match Outlook
India faces a major challenge in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the nation secured a total of 61 medals, with 30 coming from six sports that have been excluded from this year’s roster:
– Wrestling: 12 medals
– Table Tennis: 7 medals
– Badminton: 6 medals
– Hockey: 2 medals
– Squash: 2 medals
– Cricket: 1 medal
These sports have been crucial to India’s success at the Commonwealth Games for nearly twenty years. Historically, India has never placed outside the top five, but the absence of these medal-rich sports makes it considerably harder to maintain that record.
The focus now shifts primarily to athletics, boxing, and weightlifting. Neeraj Chopra leads the athletics team, entering Glasgow as a challenger rather than the clear favorite, facing tough competition from Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga. Nevertheless, Chopra remains India’s leading hope for gold.
In weightlifting, attention will be on Mirabai Chanu, who aims to achieve an unprecedented third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal. Boxing hopes are pinned on Lovlina Borgohain, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, who is in pursuit of the only major multi-sport gold medal missing from her accolades.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for July 23 at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and will commence around 10:30 PM IST. Mirabai Chanu will represent India as the flag bearer during the athletes’ parade, while Lovlina Borgohain will carry the ceremonial King’s Baton. Featured performers include Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, folk artist Nathan Evans, and the musical duo Saint PHNX.
Fans can catch live streaming on Sony LIV, while TV coverage will be available on Sony Sports Ten 2 and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD.
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The CGF has chosen sports for the program based on several criteria, such as worldwide participation, the level of competition, and appeal to local audiences. The selected sports include ten disciplines, with six offering para events. However, sports such as badminton, cricket, hockey, squash, diving, table tennis, wrestling, triathlon, beach volleyball, and rugby sevens have been excluded. Additionally, some disciplines within cycling and gymnastics have been streamlined.
