India is set to begin its Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign in Glasgow, Scotland, with a 126-member athlete contingent aiming to deliver another memorable performance on the international stage.
However, this edition presents a unique challenge for the Indian team. Several of the country’s traditionally strongest medal-winning sports—including wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis—are not part of the competition programme, meaning India’s overall medal tally is expected to be significantly lower than the 61 medals it won at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where it finished fourth in the standings.
Despite the absence of those disciplines, India has fielded a strong squad across athletics, boxing, weightlifting and lawn bowls, with several Olympic and World Championship medallists among the country’s leading contenders for gold.
Neeraj Chopra Eyes Second Commonwealth Games Gold
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra headlines India’s 32-member athletics squad and will once again be one of the country’s biggest medal hopes.
The star javelin thrower began his 2026 season later than usual after recovering from a lower back injury. He made his return at the Doha Diamond League, finishing fourth with a best throw of 85.69 metres.
Chopra missed the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to injury but previously won gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, making him one of the favourites to reclaim the title in Glasgow.
Mirabai Chanu Targets Third Consecutive CWG Gold
Weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu will carry the Indian tricolour during the athletes’ parade and enters the Games as one of India’s strongest gold medal contenders.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist has already established herself as one of India’s greatest Commonwealth Games athletes, winning gold medals at both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
The 31-year-old will compete in the women’s 48kg weightlifting category, aiming to secure a third consecutive Commonwealth Games title.
Lovlina Borgohain Chasing Her First CWG Medal
Olympic bronze medallist and former World and Asian champion Lovlina Borgohain will look to end her Commonwealth Games medal drought in Glasgow.
Despite her impressive achievements on the international stage, Lovlina narrowly missed the podium at both the 2018 Gold Coast Games and the 2022 Birmingham Games.
She will compete in the women’s 75kg boxing event, hoping to add a long-awaited Commonwealth medal to her decorated career.
Murali Sreeshankar Looks to Upgrade Silver
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar heads into the Games in outstanding form after consistently producing world-class performances over the past year.
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist from Birmingham recently equalled his personal best of 8.38 metres during the Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar, strengthening his credentials as a genuine gold medal contender.
Having finished second four years ago, Sreeshankar will now be aiming to climb to the top step of the podium in Glasgow.
Lawn Bowls Teams Aim to Repeat Historic Success
Lawn bowls emerged as one of India’s biggest success stories at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, creating history by winning two medals.
The women’s fours team stunned the competition to claim a historic gold medal, while the men’s fours team added a silver medal to India’s tally.
With much of that momentum still intact, both teams will be hoping to deliver another strong performance and add more medals in Glasgow.
India Banking on Core Sports Despite Reduced Programme
Although the exclusion of wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis is expected to affect India’s overall medal count, the country remains optimistic about achieving success through its traditional strengths in athletics, boxing, weightlifting and lawn bowls.
With Olympic champions, world medallists and experienced campaigners leading the charge, India will look to maximise every medal opportunity as the Commonwealth Games 2026 get underway in Scotland.