At the upcoming National Games (CWG 2026), India faces the task not only of winning medals but also of maintaining the tradition of being among the top five countries, a streak that has been consistent for the last two decades since the games in Manchester in 2002. However, the current competition format and the absence of some sports strong for India complicate this task.
Format and Scale of CWG 2026
The games, which begin in Glasgow on Thursday, July 23, include only 10 sports. Approximately 3000 athletes from about 74 countries will participate across four sporting venues. This edition was designed to reduce costs, with a budget of around 160 million pounds sterling, which is about 60 percent less than in Birmingham in 2022.
Challenges for the Indian Team
The main obstacle for India is the exclusion of disciplines such as hockey, wrestling, badminton, table tennis, and shooting from the program. These sports accounted for almost half of the 61 medals won by India in Birmingham 2022. Consequently, the entire responsibility now falls on boxing, athletics, and weightlifting.
Expectations from Athletics
India has sent a team of 32 to athletics, which will compete in 22 competitive disciplines. The greatest attention is focused on Niraj Chopra, a two-time Olympic medalist. Nevertheless, the men's javelin throw promises to be difficult: Rumesh Tharanga from Sri Lanka recently made a splash by throwing the implement 92.62 meters, and Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is also a strong contender for the gold medal, requiring Chopra to be in peak condition.
In addition, India is expected to win medals in high jump by Sarvesh Kushare, long jump by Murili Shrishankar, triple jump by Pravin Chitravel, as well as in the men's and women's 4x400 meter relay.
Merabai Chanu and Weightlifting
Attention is focused on Merabai Chanu, the Olympic silver medalist in weightlifting, in all circles. Merabai has already won gold at two previous national games and intends to take a third consecutive gold. However, India faces a challenge here too: because many weightlifters failed doping tests during the national camp, India will field only 11 athletes, which may limit the potential number of medals.
Boxing as a Strength
Boxing is considered one of India's strongest areas. Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg) will seek her first medal at the National Games. World champion Jasmyn Lamboria (57 kg) will try to turn the bronze won in Birmingham into gold. Strong contenders also include Preeti Pawar (54 kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51 kg), and Arundhati Chaudhary (70 kg). In the men's division, medals are expected from Narendra Berwal (+90 kg) and Sachin Siva (60 kg).
Other Disciplines and Schedule
India also hopes for success in Lawn Bowls, Judo, and among para-athletes. In Birmingham 2022, India achieved a historic result in Lawn Bowls, winning gold in the women's team event and silver in the men's. This year, the team aims to repeat this success. The goal in Judo is to surpass the three medals won last time, and Indian para-athletes can make a significant contribution to the medal tally in six para-disciplines.
The National Games are scheduled to start on July 23. The first day will be dedicated to Lawn Bowls, featuring group matches in men's singles and women's doubles. The official opening will take place at 22:30 IST. Starting from July 24, competitions in boxing, gymnastics, para-powerlifting, and swimming will begin. Weightlifting starts on July 26, athletics on July 27, cycling on July 30, and judo on July 31.
