In a major blow to India’s chances at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow, key sports like wrestling, field hockey, badminton, cricket, and table tennis have been dropped from the event, set to be held from July 23 to August 2, 2026.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) confirmed that the 2026 edition will feature only 10 sports, hosted across four venues within an eight-mile radius. These include athletics, swimming, 3×3 basketball, track cycling, weightlifting, lawn bowls, artistic gymnastics, netball, boxing, and judo. Para versions of five of these sports will also be part of the program.
India, which has excelled in wrestling, field hockey, and badminton, faces a significant reduction in its medal prospects. The previous CWG in Birmingham featured 20 sports, but for the 2026 edition, hockey, cricket, badminton, wrestling, table tennis, diving, rugby sevens, beach volleyball, mountain biking, squash, and rhythmic gymnastics have been excluded.
India’s dominance in shooting and wrestling at the CWG has been substantial, with the country securing 135 medals in shooting and 114 in wrestling, including numerous golds. During the 2022 CWG, Indian wrestlers bagged 12 medals, including six golds.
Field hockey, another key sport for India, will be missing from the CWG for the first time since it was introduced in 1998. India’s field hockey teams have won six medals, including one gold, four silvers, and one bronze. Additionally, India’s medal count in badminton, table tennis, and squash stands at 31, 28, and five respectively, with several gold medals included.
The exclusion of these medal-rich sports is expected to heavily impact India’s performance at the 2026 Games.
