The Commonwealth Games 2026 get underway in Glasgow, Scotland, on Thursday, with athletes representing Commonwealth nations and territories competing over 11 days. The 23rd edition of the Games marks a fresh chapter after Glasgow stepped in as host when Victoria, Australia withdrew citing financial contraints, with organisers now adopting a leaner model to make the Games more economically sustainable.
Unlike previous editions, Glasgow 2026 will feature only 10 sports across four existing venues situated within an eight-mile corridor. The streamlined approach is designed to significantly reduce hosting costs, with no new infrastructure being built.
The biggest impact of the revised format will be felt by countries such as India. Traditional medal-rich disciplines including badminton, wrestling, table tennis, hockey, shooting and cricket have all been dropped. At the Birmingham 2022 Games, more than half of India's 61 medals came from sports that will not feature this year, making Glasgow a very different challenge for the Indian contingent.
India's Top Medal Prospects
India's medal hopes at the 2026 Commonwealth Games will largely rest on athletics, weightlifting and boxing following the reduction in the number of sports. The campaign begins with lawn bowls on Thursday, a discipline in which India claimed a historic gold and a silver at Birmingham 2022.
Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra headlines India's athletics contingent and will be among the favourites in the men's javelin throw, although reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan is expected to provide stiff competition. India will also look to Murali Sreeshankar in the long jump, Praveen Chithravel in the triple jump and distance runner Gulveer Singh for podium finishes.
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In weightlifting, Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu is tipped as one of India's strongest gold medal prospects in the women's 49kg category. Bindyarani Devi and Gyaneshwari Yadav are also expected to challenge for medals in their respective events.
The boxing squad is spearheaded by Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Jaismine Lamboria, while Sakshi Chaudhary and Preeti Pawar are among India's other leading contenders in the ring.
Beyond those disciplines, judoka Tulika Maan, India's lawn bowls teams and Para-athlete Soman Rana are also expected to play key roles in India's medal campaign in Glasgow.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Dates
July 23 to August 2, 2026
Commonwealth Games 2026 Schedule
Day 1: Thursday, July 23
Lawn Bowls:
2:00 PM IST - Men's Singles Group Stage (Day 1)
2:00 PM IST - Women's Pairs Group Stage (Day 1)
Opening Ceremony: 10:30 PM IST onwards
Day 2: Friday, 24 July
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Men's Singles & Women's Pairs Group Stage (Day 2)
Boxing: 3:30 PM IST - Preliminary Bouts (Round of 32 / Round of 16)
Artistic Gymnastics: 4:30 PM IST - Men's Team Final & Individual Qualification
Para Powerlifting:
5:30 PM IST - Men's & Women's Lightweight Finals
10:30 PM IST - Men's & Women's Heavyweight Finals
Swimming / Para Swimming: 11:30 PM IST - Men's S13 100m Freestyle Final & 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final
Day 3: Saturday, 25 July
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Group Stage Matches (Day 3)
Boxing: 3:30 PM IST - First Round / Round of 16 Matches
Artistic Gymnastics: 4:30 PM IST - Women's Team Final & Individual Qualification
3x3 Wheelchair Basketball: 9:30 PM IST - India Women vs Scotland (Group Stage)
Swimming: 11:30 PM IST - Men's S14 200m Freestyle Final & 50m Backstroke Final
Day 4: Sunday, 26 July
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Group Stage Matches (Day 4)
Weightlifting:
2:00 PM IST - Men's 60kg Final
6:30 PM IST - Women's 48kg Final
11:00 PM IST - Men's 65kg Final
Boxing: 3:30 PM IST - Second Round Matches
Artistic Gymnastics:
4:30 PM IST - Men's Individual All-Around Final
10:30 PM IST - Women's Individual All-Around Final
Day 5: Monday, 27 July
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Group Stage Day 5; 8:30 PM IST - Semi-finals
Athletics & Para Athletics:
2:30 PM IST - Men's 400m Hurdles (R1), Long Jump (Qualifying), Men's 110m Hurdles (R1)
11:00 PM IST - Men's High Jump Final, 110m Hurdles Final, Women's Shot Put F57 Final
Swimming: 3:00 PM IST - Men's 200m Butterfly Heats; 11:30 PM IST - Final
Weightlifting:
5:30 PM IST - Women's 53kg & 58kg Finals
12:30 AM IST (28 July) - Men's 79kg Final
3x3 Wheelchair Basketball: 9:30 PM IST - India Women vs Nigeria (Group Stage)
Day 6: Tuesday, 28 July
Lawn Bowls:
1:00 PM IST - Medal Matches (Men's Singles & Women's Pairs)
7:30 PM IST - Men's Pairs & Women's Singles Group Stage
Athletics:
2:30 PM IST - Men's 400m Round 1
11:00 PM IST - Women's High Jump Final, Men's 100m Semi-finals & Finals
Weightlifting: 6:30 PM IST - Women's 63kg Final; 11:00 PM IST - Women's 69kg Final
Day 7: Wednesday, 29 July
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Men's Pairs & Women's Singles Group Stage (Day 2)
Weightlifting: 2:00 PM IST - Women's 77kg Final; 6:30 PM IST - Men's 94kg Final
Athletics:
2:30 PM IST - Men's Shot Put Qualifying, Men's 200m Round 1
11:00 PM IST - Men's Long Jump Final, Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final
Day 8: Thursday, 30 July
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Men's Pairs & Women's Singles Group Stage (Day 3)
Track Cycling: 2:30 PM IST - Qualifying Rounds; 8:30 PM IST - Team Pursuit & Team Sprint Finals
Athletics:
2:30 PM IST - Men's Javelin Throw Qualifying, Men's Triple Jump Qualifying, Men's Decathlon
11:00 PM IST - Women's Discus Throw Final, Women's 5000m Final, Men's Shot Put Final
Weightlifting: 6:30 PM IST - Women's +86kg Final; 11:00 PM IST - Men's +110kg Final
Day 9: Friday, 31 July
Judo: 3:30 PM IST - Preliminary Rounds; 8:30 PM IST - Final Block
Boxing: 3:00 PM IST - Semi-final Bouts
Athletics:
2:30 PM IST - Mixed 4x400m Relay Heats
11:00 PM IST - Men's Javelin Throw Final, Men's 400m Hurdles Final, Men's 200m Final
Day 10: Saturday, 1 August
Lawn Bowls: 1:00 PM IST - Group Stage Day 5; 9:00 PM IST - Semi-finals
Athletics & Para Athletics:
2:30 PM IST - Men's Triple Jump Final, Women's 10,000m Race Walk Final, Men's 400m Final
11:00 PM IST - Men's Pole Vault Final, Men's 5000m Final, Mixed 4x400m Relay Final
Boxing: 3:00 PM IST & 9:00 PM IST - Gold Medal Finals
Track Cycling: 7:30 PM IST - Individual Sprint Final & 10km Scratch Race Final
Day 11: Sunday, 2 August
Track Cycling: 1:30 PM IST - 1000m Time Trial Final & 40km Points Race
Judo: 2:30 PM IST - Heavyweight Preliminary Rounds; 7:30 PM IST - Medal Matches
Closing Ceremony: 10:30 PM IST onwards
Commonwealth Games 2026 Live Telecast
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be televised live in India on the Sony Sports Network. Coverage will also be available on Doordarshan Sports, with viewers able to watch the action through DD Free Dish.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Live Streaming
Fans can live stream the Commonwealth Games 2026 in India on the Sony LIV app and website.
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