India has suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026. Nine sports, including hockey, cricket, wrestling, and shooting, have been dropped from the games, severely impacting India’s medal prospects.
The most significant concern is that the sports where Indian athletes have traditionally dominated—such as hockey, badminton, wrestling, and shooting—have been excluded from the event. Other sports like table tennis, squash, and road racing have also been dropped. This raises concerns that India’s medal tally may be affected.
The Commonwealth Games are held every four years. In 2022, the event in Birmingham featured 19 sports. However, for the 2026 edition, this number has been reduced to 10. Glasgow last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Victoria, Australia, was originally set to host the 2026 edition, but due to financial difficulties, they relinquished their hosting rights. As a result, the games have returned to Glasgow after 12 years. Organizers have stated that the decision to exclude nine sports was made to ensure the event’s financial viability.
India has had strong performances at the Commonwealth Games, especially in the sports that have now been excluded. The country has won numerous medals in hockey, badminton, shooting, and wrestling, but these sports will no longer be featured in the next edition.
The exclusion of shooting, in particular, is a significant loss for India. India has won 135 medals in shooting at the Commonwealth Games, including 63 golds, making it one of the nation’s most successful events. Wrestling, with 114 medals, is another highly successful sport for India in the Commonwealth Games.
The exclusion of hockey is another blow. India’s men’s hockey team reached the finals in 2010, 2014, and 2022, winning silver medals. The men’s team also won two bronze medals in previous editions. The Indian women’s hockey team has also performed remarkably at the Commonwealth Games, reaching the finals in 2002 and winning a historic gold, silver in 2006, and bronze in 2022.
Badminton, with a total of 31 medals (10 gold, 8 silver, and 13 bronze), will also no longer be part of the Commonwealth Games.
