Glasgow: India will begin its Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign in Glasgow on Thursday with a 125-member contingent targeting a strong medal haul despite the Games featuring a significantly reduced programme compared to the previous edition.
The Commonwealth Games will be held from July 23 to August 2, with competitions spread across just 10 sports after organisers scaled down the event to reduce costs.
India Eyes Strong Start at Commonwealth Games 2026
India has sent 125 athletes, including 77 men and 48 women, who will compete in eight able-bodied sports and five para disciplines.
The overall Indian delegation consists of 190 members, including athletes, coaches, support staff and contingent officials.
Athletics has the largest representation with 32 competitors, followed by boxing (14), judo (14), weightlifting (12) and swimming (5).
Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will serve as India’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony, while Olympic bronze medallist and former world champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain will carry the ceremonial baton.
Neeraj Chopra Headlines India’s Gold Medal Hopes
India’s biggest medal hope remains Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who returns to the Commonwealth Games after missing the 2022 Birmingham edition because of injury.
Chopra, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is expected to renew his rivalry with Pakistan’s Olympic and Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem. Sri Lanka’s world-leading javelin thrower Rumesh Pathirage is also among the top contenders.
India’s athletics team also includes several medal hopefuls such as Murali Sreeshankar, Sarvesh Kushare, Parul Chaudhary, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, and Gulveer Singh.
Mirabai Chanu Chasing Third Consecutive Commonwealth Games Gold
Weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu will aim to win her fourth Commonwealth Games medal and third successive gold medal.
India’s boxing challenge will be led by Lovlina Borgohain, along with Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar, and Jaismine Lamboria.
The Indian contingent also reflects a wide age range, with 49-year-old lawn bowler Dinesh Kumar Singh being the oldest athlete and 16-year-old para cyclist Lisha Das the youngest.
Reduced Programme Limits India’s Medal Prospects
Unlike the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where India won 61 medals, including 22 gold, Glasgow features only 10 sports, down from 19 in the previous edition.
Several sports in which India has traditionally excelled have been excluded, including:
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Badminton
- Hockey
- Table Tennis
- Cricket
- Squash
These disciplines contributed a significant share of India’s medals in previous Commonwealth Games, making the Glasgow edition more challenging for the Indian contingent.
Why Several Sports Were Dropped
The reduced programme follows the withdrawal of the Australian state of Victoria as host due to escalating costs.
Glasgow stepped in as the replacement host and redesigned the Games to be conducted across four venues within a compact area. Organisers have reduced the overall budget to approximately £150 million, compared to Victoria’s projected expenditure of around £1.2 billion.
Despite the smaller programme, India will look to make the most of its medal opportunities while also gaining valuable experience ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled to be hosted in Ahmedabad.
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