Delhi: The exclusion of several key sports from the Commonwealth Games (CWG) has upset players, coaches and veterans, who are now labelling it a “conspiracy” to diminish “India’s growing sporting potential in the region”.
On Tuesday, major sports, such as wrestling, hockey, cricket, shooting and table tennis—disciplines where India performs consistently well—were removed from the scaled-back programme for the 2026 Games in Glasgow. According to the Commonwealth Games Federation, this was done to make the Games more “budget-friendly”.
The 2022 CWG in Birmingham featured 19 sports. This number has now been drastically reduced to 10 for the upcoming edition. The curtailed roster affects India’s medal prospects in Glasgow.
The Scottish city was not the first choice for the 2026 Games. It was considered after the Australian state of Victoria, the original host, withdrew, citing cost concerns.
Sharath Kamal, Commonwealth gold medalist in 2018, expressed his disappointment at the exclusion of table tennis from the next edition.
“CWG has been a crucial launch pad for table tennis players, especially for me, Manika Batra, and many others, to improve on the international circuit and make a name for ourselves. That opportunity will be denied this time,” Kamal told ThePrint.
Calling it a significant loss for athletes, Kamal highlighted the benefits a multi-sport event like CWG provides.
“Performing well in the Games brings cash incentives and support, like from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which helps us prepare for the Olympics. That opportunity is being taken away,” he said, adding that the focus would now shift to the Asian Games and the next Olympic Games.
‘Demotivating for sportsmen’
After the news of scrapping of key sports from CWG became public, several sports associations have spoken out, expressing their dismay. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) termed it a “setback” and a “conspiracy”.
“It’s shocking and a huge setback for Indian sports, with nearly 40 medals at risk from the dropped events… The BAI stands firmly in protest and will be reaching out to all relevant authorities at the Commonwealth and Badminton World Federation (BWF), as well as the highest levels of government in the country, to advocate for the future of Indian sports,” said Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the BAI.
To former Indian field hockey player Pritam Rani Siwach, the removal feels like a “conspiracy”.
“To make the game budget-friendly, the federation scrapped all the key games in which India gets the most medals. I was shocked when I learnt about it,” she said, calling it “highly demotivating for the sportsperson”.
Field hockey has been part of the CWG since 1998.
‘Players have been working hard’
At the 2022 Games in Birmingham, India had won 12 medals in wrestling (six gold, one silver and five bronze), seven in table tennis (four gold, one silver and two bronze), six in badminton (three gold, one silver and two bronze), two in hockey (a silver and a bronze), two bronze in squash, and a silver in cricket. Not just that, India had won a total of 61 medals, including 22 golds.
With the exclusion of these sports, India stands to lose out on these medal opportunities.
For Sanjay Sihag, a wrestling coach from Haryana, the Commonwealth Games are not just a prestigious international event, but also a crucial opportunity for players to gain recognition and financial support.
“You have no idea how much money goes into developing a player from the grassroots level. It’s only when players receive something in return from these games that they feel motivated, satisfied and ready to put their best foot forward,” Sihag said.
According to him, the exclusion of wrestling is a blow for the wrestlers in Haryana and across India. He said that the sport was excluded to promote other lesser known sports.
“India always gets the most medals in wrestling. Other lesser known sports should be given priority, but not by removing the key sports from the rosters.”
“Our players have been working hard for the last four years to participate in CWG. They are broken,” Sihag added.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Understandable.
Indian athletes hardly win any medals in the Olympics or even the Asian Games. It’s only in the Commonwealth Games, that they manage to get a bountiful harvest.