The Commonwealth Games showed that India's sporting rise now extends far beyond its traditional medal-winning disciplines. The Commonwealth Games are more than a competition for medals; they reflect a country’s sporting culture, talent development, sports science, training ecosystem and long-term sports policy. Held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August, the Games concluded for India with notable achievements and encouraging prospects. The Indian contingent finished fourth with 39 medals—13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze. This achievement is especially significant because sports in which India traditionally excels—shooting, wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis—were absent. These disciplines have historically contributed much of India’s medal haul. Retaining fourth place despite fewer opportunities demonstrates the resilience and depth of Indian sport. Australia topped the standings with 171 medals, including 70 gold, followed by England with 110 and Canada with 62. Hosts Scotland finished fifth with 39 medals. Although India and Scotland won the same number of medals, India secured fourth place by winning more gold medals. Comparison with previous editions provides useful context. At the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, India finished third with 66 medals (26 gold, 20 silver and 20 bronze). Shooting contributed 16 medals, supported by boxing, weightlifting and wrestling. At the 2022 Birmingham Games, India placed fourth with 61 medals (22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze), with all 12 Indian wrestlers winning medals alongside strong performances in weightlifting and table tennis. By comparison, India’s tally fell to 39 medals in Glasgow 2026. Although this appears a decline, many of India’s strongest medal-winning sports were not contested, making the medal count alone misleading. India made effective use of the opportunities available and excelled in the disciplines it contested. Indian boxers produced the finest Commonwealth Games campaign in the nation’s history, winning 10 medals—seven gold and three silver. Young athletes Jaismine Lamboria, Priya Ghanghas, Sakshi Choudhary and Preeti Pawar signalled a bright future. Although Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain narrowly missed gold, her experience strengthened the contingent. Sachin Siwach and Ankush also delivered important victories. The results showed that Indian boxing now possesses a broad talent pipeline rather than relying on a few individuals. Weightlifting also maintained India’s reputation. Indian lifters’ Glasgow performances confirmed the country’s growing stature. In judo, Indian athletes exceeded expectations by winning important medals, highlighting the sport’s rapid growth. However, the provisional suspension and withdrawal of judoka Tulika Maan after missing three anti-doping whereabouts filings was a setback. The incident underlined that success at the highest level requires strict compliance with anti-doping regulations alongside sporting excellence. India’s athletics campaign became a major talking point. Gulveer Singh made history by winning silver in the 10,000 metres and bronze in the 5,000 metres, becoming the first Indian to win two track-and-field medals at a single Commonwealth Games. India had never previously medalled in these events. His achievement reflects the progress of scientific training. In para-sports, India recorded its best-ever Commonwealth Games performance, winning seven medals—three gold, two silver and two bronze. Women won 16 medals, including eight gold, while men claimed the remaining 23. While the 2026 performance is commendable, it is not unprecedented. India’s benchmark remains the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, when the nation finished second behind Australia with 101 medals, including 38 gold. Home advantage helped, but the performance also demonstrated that strong infrastructure, a wide talent base and systematic preparation can enable India to challenge the leading nations. The most significant shift in India’s sporting journey is that success is no longer confined to a handful of disciplines. Where medals once came mainly from shooting, wrestling, badminton and weightlifting, athletes are now emerging consistently in boxing, judo, athletics and para-sports. This reflects the impact of national sports policies, initiatives such as Khelo India, improved infrastructure, sports science, nutrition and financial support. However, further investment is needed in talent identification, grassroots coaching, sports medicine, mental conditioning and international exposure. Attention now turns to 2030, when Ahmedabad hosts the Commonwealth Games—an opportunity to showcase India’s sporting potential, modern infrastructure and organisational capabilities. The Glasgow Commonwealth Games have reinforced confidence that Indian athletes can succeed despite difficult circumstances. These achievements should be viewed as another step towards becoming a global sporting power. India must continue strengthening sports in which it already excels while expanding long-term investment in athletics, swimming, gymnastics and other core Olympic disciplines. With consistent sports policies, scientific training, world-class facilities and sustained support, India can increasingly establish itself among the leading nations at the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics and other global competitions. (The writer is a senior journalist and author of several books. Views personal.)
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