The Commonwealth Games have traditionally been one of India's strongest multi-sport events, but the country's medal prospects for the 2026 Glasgow edition have taken a hit after badminton and several other disciplines were dropped from the programme as organisers scaled down the event to reduce costs.
The decision has disappointed India's badminton fraternity, with chief national coach Pullela Gopichand calling the sport's exclusion "quite shocking" while expressing hope that it will return when Ahmedabad hosts the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup Final 2026: Fans Shell Out Rs 9 Lakh/Ticket To Witness Spain Vs Argentina Clash
"Commonwealth was an important event and badminton not being there in Glasgow was quite shocking. It's done and dusted for this edition, but we are hoping that in our edition in Ahmedabad, we would have badminton featuring back again.
"Indian players are stronger than ever, so we do expect some medals from the event as well," Gopichand said during an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.
Ahmedabad has been confirmed as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Sport movement has also confirmed that the 2030 Games will feature between 15 and 17 sports. The programme includes athletics and para athletics, swimming and para swimming, table tennis and para table tennis, bowls and para bowls, weightlifting and para powerlifting, artistic gymnastics, netball and boxing.
ALSO READ | India Tour of Zimbabwe 2026: Full Schedule, Squads, Match Timings, Live Telecast & Streaming
"From an athlete's perspective, Asian Games are tough for some events, but there are also disciplines where the participation of countries like Australia, England and Jamaica makes the Commonwealth Games more competitive than the Asian Games," the 52-year-old said.
India won 61 medals — 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze — at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games despite the absence of shooting, the country's most successful discipline in the event's history.
With badminton absent from the programme, India will miss one of its strongest medal-producing sports when the 2026 Commonwealth Games get underway in Glasgow on July 23.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
