Hockey to wrestling, CWG drops 9 sports, dents India's medal hopes

• For the 2026 CWG, which will be held in Glasgow, badminton, cricket, hockey, squash, table tennis and wrestling have been omitted.

Highlights:

• Six of the 12 disciplines in which India secured medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games have been dropped from the upcoming 2026 edition, impacting India’s chances of success. These sports contributed 37 of India's total 61 medals in 2022.

Sports Omitted from 2026 CWG:

• The 2026 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow, will not feature badminton, cricket, hockey, squash, table tennis, and wrestling. This announcement follows the exclusion of shooting and archery from the 2022 edition in Birmingham, both of which are traditional strongholds for India.

Slimmed-Down Commonwealth Games:

• The 2026 CWG will be a scaled-down version of the previous editions:
  • 10 sports will be featured, compared to 19 in Birmingham 2022.
  • Approximately 3,000 athletes will participate, down from nearly 5,000.
  • The event will take place from July 23 to August 2.

Confirmed Sports in 2026 CWG:

• The confirmed sports programme will include:
  • Athletics and para-athletics
  • Boxing
  • Bowls and para-bowls
  • Swimming and para-swimming
  • Artistic gymnastics
  • Track cycling and para-track cycling
  • Netball
  • Weightlifting and para-powerlifting
  • Judo
  • 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball

Indian Sporting Administrators React:

• The decision was met with widespread disappointment from Indian sporting officials and athletes.
• Gagan Narang, a former CWG medallist and member of the Indian Olympic Association, called the move “disheartening,” particularly for athletes preparing for these events.
• Pullela Gopichand, India’s national badminton coach, expressed his frustration, calling the decision "deeply appalling and disappointing." He urged action to protect sports like badminton, which has been part of every CWG since 1966.

History of Excluded Sports:

• Badminton: Played in every CWG since 1966.
• Squash and Hockey: Part of the CWG programme since 1998.
• Table Tennis: Included since 2002.
• The exclusion of these sports means that for the first time, no racquet sport will be included in a multi-discipline event.

Financial Constraints and Venue Selection:

• The 2026 edition, originally scheduled to be hosted by Victoria, Australia, saw a change in venue after the Australian state withdrew due to high costs. Glasgow stepped in as a last-minute replacement, but the event will operate on a tight budget, prompting the exclusion of several sports.

Key cost-saving measures include:

• Restricting the Games to just four venues within an 8-mile radius to reduce transportation and security expenses.
• Athletes and support staff will be housed in hotels instead of a dedicated Games Village.

Prelims Takeaways:

• Commonwealth Games