India last placed outside the top five at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) during the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur, marking the only instance since the late 20th century.
Event Context
India’s fourth-place position in the medal standings at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games (CWG) may initially seem typical. However, given the challenges of a 10-sport format that struggled to attract participants and saw the removal of several of India’s traditionally strong sports, the Indian athletes demonstrated remarkable resilience. Their achievement of securing 39 medals—comprising 13 gold, 17 silver, and 9 bronze—underscores India’s competitive spirit, maintaining a top-five status among the nations.
Notably, the 2026 medal tally is particularly impressive considering that sports contributing significantly to India’s previous total—such as wrestling (12 medals), table tennis (7), badminton (6), squash (2), hockey (2), and cricket (1)—were absent this time.
Despite the potential for a sharp decline from the Birmingham Games to Glasgow, India remained steadfast, buoyed by a flurry of medals in the closing stages of the event and notable performances in para sports, especially para athletics, which contributed significantly to the medal count.
India’s ability to maintain its performance, even as weightlifting saw a decline—falling from 10 medals and 3 gold in 2022 to 8 medals and 1 gold in 2026—highlights the growth in other sports. Leading the charge were boxing, athletics, and an unexpected standout: judo.
Boxing emerged as a stronghold for India, with boxers achieving an impressive seven gold medals, a significant increase from the three golds in both 2018 and 2022. Women boxers excelled in Glasgow, claiming five out of seven available titles, underlining boxing’s prominence in India’s sporting landscape.
The upcoming Asian Games will serve as a more comprehensive evaluation of the boxers’ capabilities, especially with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon.
In athletics, India experienced notable success at Glasgow’s Scotstoun Stadium, where the track and field team doubled its medal count from Birmingham, securing 16 medals, including six from para athletics, all of which were gold.
While there were no champions from able-bodied athletes this time, the increase in medals reflects the continued advancement of Indian athletes in this discipline. Gulveer Singh and Tejaswin Shankar were standout performers, with Gulveer becoming the first Indian to capture two athletics medals in a single CWG edition.
Tejaswin also made history by earning a bronze in the decathlon, despite battling patellar tendonitis. Additionally, Yashvir Singh’s bronze and Neeraj Chopra’s silver in javelin showcased the depth of talent, marking the first instance of two Indian athletes reaching the podium in this event.
The performances of Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh in judo were particularly remarkable, elevating Indian judo to new heights despite the sport’s ongoing administrative and doping challenges. Judo emerged as one of the most unexpected success stories at these Commonwealth Games.
Match Outlook
This projection is encouraging as it looks ahead to the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Ahmedabad, where India hopes to capitalize on its home advantage for a greater medal haul.
Following the 2010 CWG in New Delhi, where India secured over 100 medals, the nation’s performance dipped, with medal counts fluctuating between 60 and 70 in the ensuing three games.
The medal tally from Birmingham 2022 was remarkable, especially considering the absence of shooting, India’s strongest discipline in CWG history.
Looking ahead to the 2026 CWG, several sports have been removed from the lineup. This unexpected change hindered India’s performance in Birmingham, particularly in lawn bowls, which had contributed two medals before these events were cut from the program. Additionally, with significant changes to the conditions and competition format, reproducing their success in bowls proved challenging.
Meanwhile, Glasgow 2014 hosted a tightly-packed yet successful event over ten days, showcasing India’s capabilities despite any limitations.
In just four years, all eyes will be on Ahmedabad, as the nation prepares for its own Commonwealth Games.
