CWG 2026: No Wrestling, Badminton, TT: How It Affects India's Medal Hopes

Glasgow 2026 will look very different for India. Several of the country's biggest medal-winning sports -- including wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis -- have been dropped from the Commonwealth Games, leaving India with far fewer chances to add to its medal tally.

The Commonwealth Games have long been a happy hunting ground for India, with sports like wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis delivering medals year after year.

But Glasgow 2026 tells a different story. None of these medal-rich disciplines will feature at this year's Games, leaving India with far fewer opportunities to climb the podium and making this one of its toughest Commonwealth campaigns in recent memory.

A very different Commonwealth Games

Unlike Birmingham 2022, which featured 19 sports, Glasgow 2026 will have just 10. The Games have been significantly scaled down, making it the smallest Commonwealth Games in more than three decades.

The sports that remain are athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, boxing, judo, artistic gymnastics, netball, lawn bowls and 3x3 basketball.

Missing from the programme are badminton, wrestling, hockey, table tennis, cricket, squash, rugby sevens, beach volleyball and triathlon.

For most countries, that might simply mean a different competition schedule. For India, it changes the entire outlook of the Games.

So why were these sports dropped?

It all comes down to cost.

Australia was supposed to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, but the state withdrew in 2023 after expenses spiralled. That left organisers scrambling to find a new host with just three years to go before the opening ceremony.

Glasgow eventually agreed to step in, but only by keeping the event lean. Instead of building new venues or an athletes' village, organisers chose to use existing facilities and hotels. Competitions will be held across just four venues, helping keep expenses under control.

To make that possible, the sports programme had to be reduced.

Why India has the most to lose

India has finished inside the top five of the Commonwealth Games medals table at every edition since Manchester 2002.

Much of that success has been built on sports that are now missing.

At the Birmingham Games in 2022, India won 61 medals. Of those, 30 came from sports that won't be contested in Glasgow.

That's almost half of India's medal haul disappearing before the Games have even begun.

Wrestling leaves the biggest void

No sport has contributed to India's Commonwealth success quite like wrestling.

Over the years, Indian wrestlers have made the podium almost a habit, regularly winning medals across multiple weight categories.

In Birmingham alone, wrestling brought home 12 medals, including six golds.

Its absence removes one of India's most dependable medal factories and leaves a sizeable gap that will be difficult to fill.

Badminton and table tennis have become medal guarantees

India's rise in badminton over the last decade has been remarkable. In Birmingham, India collected six medals, including gold in the mixed team event.

Table tennis has followed a similar trajectory. Indian paddlers have consistently challenged the traditional powerhouses and returned with seven medals, including four golds, in 2022.

Neither sport will feature in Glasgow, taking away another rich source of medals.

Hockey and cricket are also missing

Hockey has always been one of the headline events at the Commonwealth Games.

India has enjoyed success in both the men's and women's competitions, making it another realistic medal opportunity whenever it appears on the programme.

Women's cricket, which made its Commonwealth debut in Birmingham and earned India a silver medal, has also been left out.

Shooting remains absent

While shooting was also excluded from Birmingham 2022, its continued absence is another blow for India.

Historically, shooting has been India's most successful Commonwealth Games discipline.

Indian shooters have won an astonishing 135 medals, including 63 golds—more than any other sport. Weightlifting is next on the list with 133 medals, while wrestling follows with 114.

Had shooting been part of Glasgow 2026, India's medal prospects would have looked significantly brighter.

Can India still finish in the top five?

India will send a 125-member contingent to Glasgow, a sharp drop from the 215 athletes who competed in Birmingham four years ago.

The country's biggest hopes now rest on athletics, boxing and weightlifting, with stars like Neeraj Chopra expected to lead the challenge.

With so many traditional medal-winning disciplines missing, matching the 61-medal haul from Birmingham appears highly unlikely.

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