CWG 2026: Five sports that could drive India’s medal tally in Glasgow | Commonwealth Games

India’s Commonwealth Games campaign has traditionally been built on the shoulders of a handful of sports. Wrestling dominated the medal charts for over a decade, shooting routinely delivered double-digit podium finishes whenever it featured, while badminton and table tennis emerged as reliable contributors in recent editions.

Glasgow 2026, however, has changed that equation before a single medal has been awarded.

Faced with financial constraints after taking over as the replacement host, Glasgow has reduced the Games programme to just 10 sports. In the process, wrestling, badminton, table tennis, hockey and cricket — all of which contributed significantly to India’s 61-medal haul at Birmingham 2022 — have been dropped.

Collectively, those sports accounted for 28 medals, nearly 46 per cent of India’s total, leaving a sizeable gap that cannot be filled by one discipline alone.

Instead, India’s success will now depend on how effectively the remaining sports step up. Athletics has emerged as the country’s biggest medal hope, while weightlifting and boxing are expected to continue their long tradition of Commonwealth success. Judo and swimming may not produce double-digit returns, but even a handful of medals from those disciplines could prove decisive in India’s final standing.

In this article, we have listed five sports that could possibly yield the most medals for the Indian contingent at the 11-day multisport event. Take a look.

Athletics: Finally ready to lead India’s campaign

If there is one sport capable of replacing the medals lost through the programme changes, it is athletics.

Historically, Indian athletics has produced iconic champions but rarely enough depth to rival wrestling or shooting as the country’s biggest source of medals. That has changed dramatically over the past Olympic cycle.

The resurgence began with Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold in Tokyo and has since evolved into something much bigger. India now has medal contenders spread across multiple disciplines rather than relying on one superstar. Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar has returned to world-class form after injury, Gulveer Singh has rewritten the national record books in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, while Parul Chaudhary has established herself among Asia’s leading distance runners. Triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar and shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor further underline the squad’s remarkable depth.

The transformation was evident at Birmingham 2022. Despite Chopra missing the Games through injury, India still collected eight athletics medals — its best overseas Commonwealth Games performance. That result, coupled with strong displays at the Asian Games, World Championships and Asian Athletics Championships over the past three years, suggests Indian athletics is no longer dependent on isolated brilliance.

For the first time, India enters a Commonwealth Games with genuine medal prospects across throws, jumps, distance running and combined events. That breadth makes athletics the country’s strongest candidate to emerge as its biggest medal-producing sport in Glasgow.

Weightlifting: India’s safest Commonwealth investment

Few sports have rewarded India as consistently at the Commonwealth Games as weightlifting.

Unlike athletics, where medals are spread across dozens of events, weightlifting offers fewer opportunities but a significantly higher conversion rate. Indian lifters have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to peak at Commonwealth competitions, making the sport one of the country’s most dependable medal contributors.

The squad is once again spearheaded by Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu, who returns after overcoming injury and remains one of India’s strongest gold medal hopes. Bindyarani Devi has developed into one of the continent’s most consistent lifters and enters Glasgow as a genuine title contender, while Harjinder Kaur and Gyaneshwari Yadav provide additional podium opportunities across multiple weight categories.

The Commonwealth field also tends to be less competitive than the Olympics or World Championships, allowing Indian lifters to maximise their medal potential. That combination of experience, proven pedigree and favourable competition makes weightlifting India’s safest investment once again.

Boxing: Experience meets a fearless new generation

If weightlifting is India’s safest medal sport, boxing is arguably its most unpredictable.

One difficult draw or an off day can end a medal campaign. Yet, despite that uncertainty, Indian boxing has consistently delivered on the Commonwealth stage through a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging talent.

Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain remains India’s standout prospect and one of the favourites in her weight category. Alongside her, youth world champion Sachin Siwach has made a seamless transition to the senior circuit, while Preeti Pawar and Jaismine Lamboria have established themselves as regular podium contenders in international competitions.

Judo: Small numbers, significant opportunity

Judo is unlikely to dominate India’s medal tally, but its importance has grown considerably following the reduction in the Commonwealth Games programme.

With fewer sports available, every medal carries greater significance. That places added emphasis on disciplines in which India has realistic podium hopes, even if the contingent is relatively small.

Heavyweight judoka Tulika Maan has consistently challenged the best athletes in Asia and enters Glasgow as India’s strongest medal prospect in the sport. Harsh Tokas has also made steady progress over the past two seasons and possesses the ability to challenge for a podium finish in the men’s competition.

Unlike the Olympics, where Japanese, French and Georgian judokas dominate, the Commonwealth field is comparatively open. That creates opportunities for athletes such as Tulika and Tokas to convert years of continental success into Commonwealth medals.

Swimming: A chance to rewrite history

Swimming has rarely featured prominently in India’s Commonwealth Games success story.

Unlike athletics or weightlifting, India has never viewed the pool as a major source of medals. Glasgow, however, offers a realistic opportunity to change that perception.

Backstroke specialist Srihari Nataraj has spent the past few years consistently lowering national records while competing against some of the world’s best swimmers. Distance freestyle swimmer Aryan Nehra has also narrowed the gap with leading Commonwealth competitors through a series of impressive performances over the past two seasons.

A medal remains a difficult target, given the strength of swimmers from Australia, England and Canada, but India’s leading swimmers are now closer to Commonwealth standards than any previous generation. Even one podium finish would represent a landmark achievement and provide a significant boost to India’s overall medal tally.

How the biggest contenders of 2026 have fared in the last four editions

The five sports expected to spearhead India’s challenge in Glasgow have collectively accounted for a significant share of the country’s Commonwealth Games success over the past four editions. Athletics, weightlifting, boxing and judo have consistently contributed medals, while swimming, despite making steady progress in recent years, is still searching for India’s second-ever Commonwealth Games swimming medal.

The country’s lone medal in the sport came when Khazan Singh won bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. Since then, Indian swimmers have come close on a few occasions but are yet to return to the podium, with the medal tally standing at zero across the last four editions.

Weightlifting has been India’s most consistent performer among these disciplines, producing 41 medals since Delhi 2010. Athletics has contributed 26 medals, recovering from a lean phase in 2014 and 2018 with an eight-medal haul in Birmingham. Boxing has added 28 medals, showcasing its reputation as one of India’s most reliable Commonwealth sports, while judo has quietly chipped in with 11 medals, often performing above expectations despite fielding relatively small contingents.

A different road to success

Glasgow 2026 will test India’s ability to adapt more than any recent Commonwealth Games.

The country can no longer depend on wrestling, badminton or table tennis to deliver a sizeable portion of its medals. Instead, success will be determined by whether athletics fulfils its promise, weightlifting maintains its remarkable consistency and boxing once again produces under pressure. Judo and swimming may contribute fewer medals, but in a condensed Games programme, every podium finish could prove crucial.

The challenge is undoubtedly greater than in previous editions. Yet, it also presents an opportunity for a new generation of sports to redefine India’s Commonwealth Games identity.

If these five disciplines perform to their potential, Glasgow could mark the beginning of a new chapter — one where India’s medal tally is driven not by its traditional powerhouses but by a broader and more balanced sporting ecosystem.