India Finishes Fourth in Glasgow
The Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow ended with India finishing in fourth position on the medal table.
India won a total of 39 medals - 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze. Australia finished first, followed by England and Canada. India and Scotland both had 39 medals, but India finished higher because it won more gold medals. At first, India’s 39 medals may look lower than its 61-medal haul at Birmingham 2022. But there is an important reason for this difference.
Glasgow 2026 was a much smaller Commonwealth Games. Only 10 sports were included, compared with the much larger programmes seen in previous editions. Several sports in which India usually wins many medals were not part of the Games. Sports such as wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis were missing. These sports alone had contributed many medals to India’s total at Birmingham.
So, India’s 39 medals should not simply be compared with 61 medals from 2022. The smaller programme changed the opportunities available to Indian athletes. At the same time, Indian athletes still managed to produce some very memorable performances.
Why Was Glasgow 2026 Different?
The Glasgow Games were different from earlier Commonwealth Games because the event was organised on a much smaller scale. The Games featured 74 nations and 10 sports, with 215 gold-medal events. Six of those sports included para-sport competitions. The smaller programme was linked to the financial and organisational difficulties faced by the Commonwealth Games in recent years. Previous hosts had withdrawn from hosting, creating uncertainty about the future of the event.
Glasgow offered a different model. Existing venues were used, and the Games were organised with a much smaller programme and lower costs. Reuters reported that the event drew more than 434,000 fans during the 11 days of competition. But this approach also had an effect on countries such as India.
Wrestling, badminton, hockey, table tennis, cricket and squash were among the sports left out. These are important sports for India and have contributed significantly to the country’s Commonwealth medal tally in the past. Because of this, India’s medal tally was naturally affected. Still, the reduced number of sports also gave some other disciplines more attention. Boxing, athletics, weightlifting and judo became important medal-winning sports for India in Glasgow. Indian boxers alone won 10 medals, including seven gold medals.
Some Historic Moments for India
Although India did not match its 2022 medal total, Glasgow produced several historic moments.
One of the biggest stories was Gulveer Singh. He won silver in the men’s 10,000m and later bronze in the 5,000m. His 10,000m medal was India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s event. He also became the first Indian track and field athlete to win two individual medals at one Commonwealth Games. Another memorable performance came from Tejaswin Shankar. He won bronze in the men’s decathlon. It was India’s first Commonwealth Games medal in the decathlon, making his performance an important moment for Indian athletics.
India’s para athletes also had a historic Games.
The Indian para contingent won seven medals — three gold, two silver and two bronze. This matched India’s total para-sport medal haul from all previous Commonwealth Games combined. Para-athletics played an important role in this success.
These performances show that India’s Commonwealth campaign was not only about the final medal number. It was also about athletes creating new records and entering events where India had not previously won medals. That may be one of the most positive things India can take from Glasgow.
What Does Glasgow Tell Us About the Future of the Commonwealth Games?
The Glasgow Games have raised an important question about the future of the Commonwealth Games. For many years, hosting a large multi-sport event has become increasingly expensive. Some planned hosts withdrew because of financial concerns. This created uncertainty about whether the Commonwealth Games could continue in its traditional form.
Glasgow tried a different approach. Instead of having a very large programme, it used fewer sports, existing facilities and a more compact format. This helped make the Games more manageable. But this model also has disadvantages.
When popular sports are removed, countries like India lose many medal opportunities. For Indian fans, the absence of wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis was especially noticeable. Now the focus has moved towards Ahmedabad, which will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. India officially received the hosting baton during the Glasgow closing ceremony. This allows India to show what a future Commonwealth Games can look like.
For India, the 2030 Games could also provide a chance to bring back some sports that were missing in Glasgow. Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir said the Ahmedabad Games could have 15 to 17 sports, which would be more than Glasgow’s reduced programme.
The Glasgow Games therefore leave two different messages. India has shown that it can perform strongly even when several of its traditional medal sports are missing. At the same time, the Commonwealth Games themselves need to find a balance between cost, sustainability, competition and the interests of athletes and countries. The future of the Commonwealth Games may not be about making the event bigger every time. It may be about making it smarter, more sustainable and still meaningful for athletes.
References:
- Indian Olympic Association - CWG 2026: India’s official medal tally and Glasgow Games information.
- Reuters - Commonwealth Games 2026 and Ahmedabad 2030: Background on Glasgow’s scaled-down format and the future of the Games.
- Olympics.com - Glasgow 2026 sports: Details about the sports included and those missing from the programme.
- Indian Express - India’s final medal tally: India’s 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze medals.
- PIB - Gulveer Singh: His historic 5,000m and 10,000m achievements.
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