Commonwealth Games 2026 Begin Tomorrow: India Pins Medal Hopes on Experienced Stars and Rising Talent
MUMBAI: The 23rd Commonwealth Games will begin in Glasgow, Scotland, on Thursday (July 23). Following the conclusion of the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the spotlight in world sport now shifts to the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games (CWG). The opening ceremony will be held at 10:30 pm IST on Thursday.
2026 Commonwealth Games by the Numbers
The Games, to be held from July 23 to August 2, will feature athletes from 74 nations competing in 215 medal events across 10 sports. More than 3,000 athletes will showcase their talent, skill, determination and athletic excellence.
The 10 sports on the programme are basketball, gymnastics, athletics, weightlifting, boxing, bowls, cycling, judo, netball and swimming. In bowls, players roll weighted balls across a grass surface towards a smaller target ball.
What are the Commonwealth Games?
Like the FIFA World Cup, the Commonwealth Games have been held every four years since 1930. The inaugural edition took place in Canada, while India hosted the Games in New Delhi in 2010.
The Commonwealth Games are considered one of the world’s biggest multi-sport events after the Olympic Games. Athletes from nations that were once part of the British Empire, including India, compete alongside participants from the United Kingdom. India will face strong competition from Australia, England, Canada and hosts Scotland.
How Did India Perform in 2022?
The previous Commonwealth Games were held in England in 2022, featuring competitions in 20 sports—twice as many as this year’s programme. India finished fourth in the medals table with a total of 61 medals, including 22 gold medals.
After Australia’s Victoria state withdrew as host, the 2026 Games were significantly scaled down to only 10 sports. As a result, India’s overall medal tally is expected to be lower than it was in 2022.
Ahmedabad to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games
The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be hosted in Ahmedabad, with the Narendra Modi Stadium set to be one of the major venues. Ahmedabad is also considered a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
2026 – A Landmark Year for World Sport
Few years in sporting history can match the excitement that 2026 has offered. The calendar has been packed with major international events across multiple sports, giving fans an almost uninterrupted schedule of world-class competitions.
The sporting year began with the Hockey India League, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the Mumbai Marathon. It was followed by the ICC T20 World Cup, which India won under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, before the Indian Premier League (IPL) took centre stage.
Subsequently, the Women’s T20 World Cup and several international cricket series were held, but the FIFA World Cup undoubtedly emerged as the biggest attraction for sports fans. With the football showpiece concluding on July 19, attention now turns to the Commonwealth Games. The sporting action will continue later this year with the Asian Games in Japan and the Summer Youth Games in Senegal.
No Cricket and Four Other Major Sports
India won the silver medal in women’s T20 cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games after losing the final to Australia. However, cricket, table tennis, wrestling, badminton and hockey are not part of the 2026 programme, which is likely to significantly reduce India’s medal tally.
In 2022, India won 13 of its 22 gold medals in wrestling, badminton and table tennis alone. With all three sports excluded this time, the challenge will be much tougher.
According to former athlete and Athletics Federation of India Vice-President Anju Bobby George, India is expected to win around 30 medals compared to 61 in the previous edition. The absence of cricket, hockey and other traditional medal-winning sports also presents a golden opportunity for India’s young athletes to emerge as new stars.
India’s Biggest Medal Hopes
(1) Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw)
(2) Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)
(3) Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)
(4) Parul Chaudhary (Middle-Distance Running)
(5) Priyanka Goswami (Race Walk)
(6) Tejaswin Shankar (High Jump)
(7) Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put)
(8) Ancy Sojan (Long Jump)
(9) Srihari Nataraj (Swimming)
(10) India is expected to win the highest number of medals in boxing, weightlifting and athletics, with several young athletes carrying the nation’s medal hopes.
India’s Opening-Day Schedule
On July 23, India will begin its campaign in the men’s singles bowls event against Canada, where Putul Sonowal will represent the country.
In the women’s pairs competition, Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinky Singh will take on Malta in India’s opening match.
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