The 2026 Commonwealth Games get underway in Glasgow on Wednesday, with India fielding a 125-member contingent…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The 2026 Commonwealth Games begin in Glasgow on Thursday, bringing together some of the world’s top athletes, with India banking on Olympic medallists Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain to spearhead its medal campaign.
The 23rd edition of the Games will run until August 2 and feature competition across 10 sports, a reduced programme compared to Birmingham 2022, where 19 sports were contested. Six Para sports have also been included, with events taking place across venues located within an eight-mile corridor in Glasgow.
Athletics and para-athletics, swimming and para-swimming, 3×3 basketball and wheelchair 3×3 basketball, track cycling and para-track cycling, weightlifting and para-powerlifting, bowls and para-bowls, artistic gymnastics, netball, boxing and judo make up the competition schedule.
India has sent a 125-member contingent, including para-athletes, after winning 61 medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games four years ago.
The athletics team is expected to lead India’s challenge and will be captained by star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The squad also includes national record holders and international medallists such as sprinters Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, along with long jumper Murali Sreeshankar.
Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will once again lead India’s weightlifting campaign, while Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain is among the country’s leading boxing medal hopes.
India’s campaign begins on Thursday with lawn bowls, a discipline in which the country enjoyed its best-ever performance at Birmingham 2022, winning one gold and one silver medal.
Australia will begin the Games as defending champions after topping the medal table in Birmingham with 179 medals, including 67 gold. England finished second with 176 medals, while hosts Scotland claimed 51 medals, including 13 golds. India, Canada and New Zealand are also expected to challenge for top positions in the overall standings.
The Games will be held across six venues. Scotstoun Stadium will host athletics and para-athletics, while the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Centre will stage boxing, bowls, para-bowls, judo and both 3×3 basketball events. The SEC Armadillo will host weightlifting and para-powerlifting, with the OVO Hydro staging netball.
Swimming and para-swimming events will take place at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, while the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Arena will host track cycling, para-track cycling and artistic gymnastics.
In India, live television coverage of the Commonwealth Games will be available on Sony Sports Network and Doordarshan (DD National), while live streaming will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
