Glasgow gold quest begins: Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu lead India's medal hopes at Commonwealth Games 2026
India will begin its Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow on Thursday with a compact yet accomplished 125-member contingent aiming to maximise its opportunities in a drastically trimmed programme. The Games, running from July 23Aug 2, feature just 10 sports, forcing India to recalibrate expectations after a highly successful Birmingham campaign four years ago.The Indian squad comprises 77 men and 48 women competing across eight able-bodied and five para disciplines.
Athletics forms the backbone of the campaign with 32 competitors, while boxing and judo have 14 athletes each, weightlifting 12 and swimming five. Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will be India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, with Tokyo bronze medallist and former world champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain serving as baton bearer.
The overall Indian delegation comprises 190 members - 125 athletes, 51 coaches and support staff and 14 contingent officials.Unlike Birmingham, where India fielded 210 athletes and won 61 medals, including 22 gold, Glasgow presents a very different challenge. The programme has been cut from 19 sports in 2022 to 10, with medal-rich disciplines such as badminton, wrestling, hockey, table tennis, cricket and squash omitted.
Those six sports accounted for 30 of India’s medals in Birmingham, sharply reducing the country’s traditional medal base.Despite the pared-down programme, India boasts several genuine gold contenders. Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returns to the CWG after missing Birmingham through injury and will renew his rivalry with Pakistan’s reigning Olympic and Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem.
The field also includes Sri Lanka’s world leader Rumesh Pathirage. Chopra, the 2018 champion, remains India’s biggest athletics hope.Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, a Birmingham silver medallist, and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, who set a national record of 2.31 metres last month before finishing third at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, further strengthen India’s track and field ambitions.
Other key names include Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Parul Chaudhary, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Gulveer Singh.India’s weightlifting challenge will again be led by Mirabai, who is chasing a fourth CWG medal and a third successive gold. The boxing squad includes proven contenders such as Lovlina, Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar and Jaismine Lamboria.The contingent spans generations, with 49-year-old lawn bowler Dinesh Kumar Singh the oldest athlete and 16-year-old para cyclist Lisha Das the youngest.
Competitions will be staged at Scotstoun Stadium, the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow International Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.With Ahmedabad set to host the centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, Glasgow offers India not only a shot at medals but also a valuable learning opportunity before it welcomes the sporting community home.Sports excluded from Glasgow Commonwealth Games:Shooting (63 gold medals won by India tilll date), table tennis (10 gold), wrestling (100+ overall medals, including 6 gold in 2022 Birmingham Games), field hockey (3 silver for men while women won gold in 2002, silver in 2006 and bronze in 2022), squash (women’s doubles gold in Glasgow 2014), women’s cricket (silver in 2022).Why are these sport excluded?Glasgow stepped in after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew citing escalating costs.
Organisers trimmed the Games to 10 sports across four venues within an eight-mile radius to keep expenses under control. Victoria’s projected budget had ballooned to around 14,500 cr. Glasgow will operate on a leaner £150 million (around 1,750 cr) budget, with £100 million funded by the Commonwealth Sport.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.
Download the TOI app.