The organizers have eliminated a number of sports from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, including hockey, cricket, wrestling, badminton, squash, and table tennis. This is a significant setback to India’s prospects of winning a medal.

India placed third in the previous edition, held in Birmingham in 2022, in the majority of the sports that have been eliminated from the Games.

In the most recent Games, India took home 61 medals, including 22 gold. More than half of the medals were won by 12 wrestlers, 7 boxers and 7 table tennis players, 6 badminton players, 2 hockey players and 1 squash player, and 1 cricket player.

Twelve years after the wildly successful 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation has declared that Scotland will host the 23rd edition of the Games from July 23 to August 2, 2026.

With ten sports spread across four locations within an eight-mile radius, Glasgow 2026 will guarantee an exciting broadcast schedule for every day of competition and appeal to spectators seeking to take in the festival atmosphere and multi-sport setting.

Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting, Boxing, Judo, Bowls and Para Bowls, Swimming and Para Swimming, Artistic Gymnastics, Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling, Netball, Athletics and Para Athletics (Track & Field), and 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball are also part of the sports program. “We are thrilled to formally confirm that Glasgow will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games on behalf of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement,” said Katie Sadleir, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation. The Games are expected to inspire athletes and sports by becoming a fully immersive festival of sport and a celebration of diversity and culture.

Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena, which includes the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) are the four locations where the Games will be held. Hotel accommodations will be provided for athletes and support personnel.

There will be around 3,000 of the top athletes competing from up to 74 Commonwealth countries and territories, which represent 2.5 billion people, or one-third of the world’s population. More than 500,000 tickets will be made available at a later date.

With six parasports on the sport program, parasport will once again be fully incorporated as a major focus and differentiator for the Games.(IANS)