The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), on Tuesday, dropped hockey, badminton, wrestling and cricket among nine sports from its 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 2.
The CGF announced that a total of ten disciplines will be part of the Games, down from 19 in the 2022 Birmingham Games. Table tennis, squash, cricket, netball, and road racing have also been excluded to reduce the cost of hosting the beleaguered Games and streamline logistics, as only four venues will host the entire event.
The CWG will return to Glasgow after a gap of 12 years. The Scottish city last hosted the Games in 2014.
“The sports programme will include Athletics and Para Athletics (Track & Field), Swimming and Para Swimming, Artistic Gymnastics, Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling, Netball, Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting, Boxing, Judo, Bowls and Para Bowls, and 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball,” the CGF said in a statement.
“The Games will take place across four venues — Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena – including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC). Athletes and support staff will be housed in hotel accommodation,” it added.
Major blow to India’s medal prospects
The exclusion of hockey, badminton, shooting, wrestling, cricket and table tennis is a massive setback for India’s medal prospects as these sports are the country’s biggest medal winners in the Commonwealth Games.
The Indian men’s hockey team won three medals, including a silver medal in the last edition, while the women’s team won three medals, including a gold in the 2002 Games.
Shooting, the sport that gave India three medals in the Paris Olympics, was not considered again as was the case in the CWG in 2022. At the CWG, India won a staggering 135 medals, including 63 gold, 44 silver, and 28 bronze.
In badminton, India clinched an overwhelming 31 medals – 10 gold, eight silver and 13 bronze. In the Birmingham Games, Indian shuttlers won the men’s and women’s singles as well as the men’s doubles gold.
India also won 114 medals in wrestling, including 49 gold, 39 silver, and 26 bronze medals.
The CGF said, “Glasgow 2026 will feature a 10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor”.
Glasgow has been confirmed as the host for the Commonwealth Games 2026 the Australian state of Victoria pulled out last year due to rising costs.
“The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow — an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact,” Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir stated in the press release.
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