Commonwealth Games 2026 Excludes Nine Events: What Are The After-Effects On Indian Sport?

The 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, will be drastically slim in terms of events, with only 10 sports taking place across four venues. (More Sports News)

The Glasgow event will see nine sports removed, after the Birmingham 2022 edition featuring 19. 

With these heavy exclusions, India’s athletes and the country’s medal tally are likely to take a major hit and this is how it could pan out. 

CWG 2026 Event List

The ten sports that are included in the program for the Games in Glasgow are Boxing, Judo, Athletics, Swimming, Track Cycling, Weightlifting, 3x3 Basketball, Lawn bowls, Netball, and Artistic Gymnastics. 

Events Excluded From CWG 2026

Cricket, Badminton, Hockey, Squash, Table Tennis, Wrestling, Beach Volleyball, Triathlon, and Rugby Sevens are the nine events that have been excluded from the Glasgow Games which were a part of Birmingham 2022. 

 The After-Effects On India's Athletes?

In Birmingham 2022, out of the 210 Indian athletes participated in the Commonwealth Games, 98 of them took part in sports that have now been excluded from the 2026 edition, according to ESPN.

With such hefty exclusions, the Indian contingent flying for the Games are also expected to be reduced in 2026. 

The lack of events for these sports is slightly tempered by the Asian Games that will be hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026, ahead of the Olympic Games in 2028. 

These athletes will feature in the Asiad, while the Indian cricketers will have to wait till 2028.

The Financial Impact On The Athletes?

The Commonwealth Games is a platform to government jobs as well as massive cash rewards - which is very much needed for an athlete for their financial security in the long-term.

The wait for the Commonwealth Games could impact any athlete, and also adds unwanted pressure to exceed expectations during the Asian Games or the Olympics being their route to a medal.

The sports ministry offers Rs 30 lakh for gold, 20 lakh for silver, and 10 lakh for bronze - with rewards equal in both Asiad and Commonwealth Games, and hence the earnings could also take a massive hit. 

Who Misses Out?

India won 61 medals during the Birmingham Games 2022 across 16 sports. 30 of those were from the events that won’t be in Glasgow.

Badminton (6), Cricket (1), Hockey (2), Squash (2), Table Tennis (7), Wrestling (12) - and adding to it, Olympic medal winners like Bajrang Punia, Indian men’s hockey team and PV Sindhu will all be absent.