Why a trimmed-down CWG 2026 could be lose-lose for India: No shooting, uncertainty over wrestling, hockey, cricket

The 2022 edition in Birmingham had 19 sports. The Glasgow organising team has said they will include just 10 sports in the 2026 Games. The CGF is hoping that 13 could be accommodated.

Whichever way the decision goes, it could end up being a lose-lose scenario for India given that shooting is likely to remain excluded, wrestling is fighting for a spot while the axe hangs on other sports like hockey and cricket.

At the 2022 CWG, India won 61 medals, including 22 of them gold. Wrestling (12), weightlifting (10), athletics (8), boxing and table tennis (7 each) contributed the most to the overall tally.

Clashing calendar

Originally, when the Australian state of Victoria was going to host the 2026 CWG before it pulled out, the Games were scheduled to be held in March. In Scotland, where the weather in March can be bitterly cold, that isn’t an option. The Games will be shifted to the summer, most likely in the July-August window when the weather too plays ball.

However, since the sporting calendar is designed years in advance, a last-minute shifting of a multi-discipline competition like CWG could see an overlap of events or an extremely crowded summer window.

The headline event of the summer is the football World Cup from June 11 to July 19. To avoid getting swallowed by the biggest single-sport tournament in the world, it is unlikely that the 2026 Games will take place during these dates.

In 2014, the Glasgow CWG was held from July 23 to August 3. So that could be a possible window. However, it would also mean a potential clash with the World and continental Championships of other sports two years before the Los Angeles Olympics.

The cricketers — although India tend to send second-string teams for these events — have a busy July and August as well, with tours to England and Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)

For instance, the men’s and women’s hockey World Cup will be held from August 15 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands. India will be hosting the badminton World Championships in 2026 and although the dates aren’t officially announced, the competition usually takes place in August.

The cricketers — although India tend to send second-string teams for these events — have a busy July and August as well, with tours to England and Sri Lanka.

And then, there will be the Asian Games — an Olympic qualifier for some sports — from September 19 to October 4.

Confirmed sports

Given that they were made compulsory sports by the Commonwealth Games Federation in 2021, athletics and swimming have been formally guaranteed a place.

India’s chances to win a swimming medal are next to none. At the Birmingham Games, the track and field athletes returned home with eight medals, including one gold.

However, this time, the elite athletes — namely Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable, and Murali Sreeshankar — might be forced to choose as two Diamond League meets, in London and Chorzow (Poland) are scheduled to take place in July and August. This is apart from the Under-20 World Championships and the European Championships, another major event that could clash with the CWG.

Shooting was not a part of the 2022 CWG and was left out of the original 2026 Games programme as well. The sport is unlikely to return for the Glasgow Games, given that none of the four venues proposed to host competitions have a shooting range.

This time, the elite athletes — namely Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable, and Murali Sreeshankar — might be forced to choose as two Diamond League meets, in London and Chorzow (Poland) are scheduled to take place in July and August. (File)

Wrestling, dropped by the Australian organisers, however, could get a lease of life given that Scotland’s largest exhibition centre, the SEC, which hosted the sport in 2014 is also one of the venues proposed.

The Venues

The Glasgow CWG could also set a new trend, wherein the sports programme could be finalised based on the venues available rather than choosing the sports first and then building a venue.

The organisers have said they will use four venues within an eight-mile radius in Glasgow to save on transport and security, among other things.

The Scotstoun Stadium in the west-end of Glasgow will host athletics. In 2014, the arena, which has a capacity of 12,500, hosted squash and table tennis. Scotland’s National Badminton Centre is also located within the Scotstoun campus premises.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Tollcross will reportedly host cycling and swimming, respectively, while indoor sports will be held at the Scotland Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), the country’s largest exhibition venue.

At the 2014 Games, the SECC hosted weightlifting, boxing, judo, wrestling, netball, and gymnastics. However, if the Scottish organisers remain firm and stick to just 10 sports, not all of these disciplines could make the final cut.

According to the BBC, the National Hockey Centre does not ‘appear to be a part of any plans’. The Guardian, meanwhile, reported: “Officials in cricket – which returned to the Commonwealth Games program with women’s T20 in Birmingham in 2022 and will rejoin the Olympics in 2028 – do not expect their sport to be included.”