A Gut Punch to India's Medal Tally
The feeling of being short-changed is understandable when you look at the numbers. At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, India put on a stellar performance, securing 61 medals to finish fourth overall. A staggering 31 of those medals—more than half
of the total—came from sports that have now been completely removed from the Glasgow 2026 programme. Wrestling was the biggest contributor, with Indian wrestlers bringing home 12 medals, including six golds. Badminton stars like P.V. Sindhu delivered another six medals, while the table tennis squad scooped up seven. Add to that the silver medal from the women’s cricket team and two medals from the hockey teams, and the scale of the loss becomes painfully clear. These sports are not just medal winners; they are disciplines where India is a recognised global powerhouse, and their absence fundamentally alters the country's prospects at the Games.
So, Why Were They Removed?
The simple answer isn't a conspiracy against India, but a matter of finance and logistics. The 2026 Games are being held under unusual circumstances. The original host, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out in 2023, citing that the projected cost had ballooned to an unsustainable level. With the event at risk of cancellation, Glasgow, which hosted a successful Games in 2014, stepped in to save the day. However, this was a last-minute rescue mission. To make it financially viable without burdening taxpayers, Glasgow proposed a drastically scaled-down version of the Games. The programme was cut from 19 sports in Birmingham to just 10, focusing on disciplines that could use existing venues and required less operational spending. Unfortunately for India, powerhouse sports like wrestling and badminton didn't make the cut in this leaner model.
The 'Core vs. Optional' Conundrum
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has a system that divides sports into two categories: 'core' sports that must be included and 'optional' sports that the host city can choose to include. Previously, athletics and swimming were the only compulsory sports. Now, the core list for future Games has been updated, but the 2026 edition is an anomaly. The Glasgow organisers, constrained by a tight budget and timeline, selected a bare-bones list of 10 sports. This list includes athletics, swimming, boxing, and weightlifting—disciplines where India still has strong medal hopes—but left out many others. Team events like cricket and hockey are particularly expensive to stage, requiring specific venues and large squads, making them easy targets for a budget-conscious host. This host-driven flexibility is a feature of the Commonwealth Games, but for 2026, it has severely worked against India's traditional strengths.
The Impact on Athletes
Beyond the national medal count, the decision has a direct impact on the careers of top Indian athletes. Olympic medallists like wrestler Bajrang Punia and shuttler P.V. Sindhu will miss out on a major event where they have consistently won gold. The absence also hurts the next generation of talent. Young stars like squash prodigy Anahat Singh, who made her debut at just 14 in Birmingham, lose a crucial platform to gain experience and test themselves against world-class competition before bigger stages like the Asian Games and the Olympics. For many athletes in sports like wrestling and table tennis, the Commonwealth Games is a career-defining milestone and a major source of funding and recognition. Its absence leaves a significant void in their competitive calendar.
What Happens Now?
The exclusion of these sports has, unsurprisingly, caused disappointment within India's sporting community. While the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has expressed its concerns in the past over the fluid nature of the sports programme, the reality for 2026 is set in stone. The focus for India will now shift. The contingent for Glasgow will be smaller, and medal expectations will need to be readjusted to focus on the 10 available sports, such as boxing, weightlifting, judo, and athletics, where India still boasts considerable talent. For the athletes in the excluded sports, their attention will turn with even greater intensity towards other major international competitions, including world championships and the crucial qualification cycle for the Paris 2028 Olympics. The dream of Commonwealth glory may be on hold, but the pursuit of excellence continues on other fronts.
