Hunt for Glasgow gold begins: Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu lead India’s medal hopes at Commonwealth Games 2026 | Commonwealth Games News
India will begin its Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow on Thursday with a compact but accomplished 125-member contingent looking to maximize its opportunities in a shortened programme. The Games, which run from July 23 to August 2, will feature 10 matches, forcing India to recalibrate expectations after a successful campaign in Birmingham four years ago.The Indian squad consists of 77 men and 48 women competing in eight endurance and five para disciplines. Athletics is the backbone of the campaign with 32 competitors, while boxing and judo have 14 athletes each, weightlifting 12 and swimming five. Tokyo Olympic silver medalist In Mirabai Chan will be India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, where Tokyo bronze medalist and former world champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the baton bearer.The total Indian delegation consists of 190 members – 125 athletes, 51 coaches and support staff and 14 contingent officials.Unlike Birmingham, where India fielded 210 athletes and won 61 medals, including 22 gold, Glasgow presented a very different challenge. The program has been cut from 19 sports in 2022 to 10, where medal-laden disciplines such as badminton, wrestling, hockey, table tennis, cricket and squash are excluded. Those six games accounted for 30 of India’s medals in Birmingham, significantly reducing the country’s traditional medal base.Despite the pared-down program, India boasts several real gold rivals. Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returns to the CWG after missing Birmingham due to injury and will face Pakistan’s reigning Olympic and Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem. The field also includes Sri Lanka’s world leader Rumesh Pathirage. Chopra, the 2018 champion, remains India’s biggest athletic hope.Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, a Birmingham silver medalist, and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, who set a national record of 2.31 meters last month before finishing third at the Monaco Diamond League meet, further strengthened India’s track and field ambitions. Other key names include Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Parul Chaudhary, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Gulveer Singh.India’s weightlifting challenge will once again be led by Mirabai, who is chasing her fourth CWG medal and third gold in a row. The boxing squad includes proven contenders such as Lovlina, Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar and Jaismine Lamboria.The contingent spans generations, with 49-year-old lawn bowler Dinesh Kumar Singh the oldest athlete and 16-year-old para cyclist Lisha Das the youngest. Competitions will be held at Scotstoun Stadium, Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow International Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.With Ahmedabad set to host the centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, Glasgow offers India not only a shot at medals but also a valuable learning opportunity before it welcomes home the sporting community.
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