The 2026 Commonwealth Games, set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, will see a major change as nine popular sports have been excluded from the competition. Sports like badminton, wrestling, hockey, shooting, cricket, squash, table tennis, triathlon, and archery, which have been part of previous games, will not be featured in this edition. This decision impacts India significantly as the nation has historically won many medals in these sports.
India’s total medal count across these sports stands at 286, with 149 being gold. Of particular note are India’s achievements in wrestling, shooting, hockey, and badminton, where the country has historically excelled. For example, India has won 31 medals in badminton, including 10 gold. The shooting events alone have given India 135 medals, with 63 of them being gold. Wrestling has been another strong area, contributing 114 medals, including 49 gold. Hockey, a sport where India has won silver and bronze in the men’s events, also includes a historic gold for the women’s team in 2002.
With the removal of these sports, the 2026 Commonwealth Games will focus on a much smaller roster of events. Only 10 sports will take place: athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and basketball. Para sports will also be a part of the Games, ensuring inclusivity for athletes with disabilities.
The 2026 Games were initially scheduled to take place in Australia across multiple cities. However, due to financial constraints, Australia backed out, and the event was moved to Glasgow. This shift comes after the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held in Birmingham, where India secured 61 medals in total, with 22 of them being gold. Wrestling, weightlifting, and athletics were the strongest areas for India in Birmingham.
Field hockey, one of the sports that won’t be featured in Glasgow, has been a part of the Commonwealth Games since 1998. Australia has consistently dominated the sport, winning gold seven times in men’s hockey. India’s men’s hockey team has earned three silver medals, all after losing to Australia in the final, while the women’s team won gold in 2002 and bronze in 2022.
The decision to exclude these nine sports leaves India without some of its most successful avenues for winning medals, especially in wrestling, shooting, and badminton.
