Glasgow (Rajeev Sharma): India concluded its Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign with 39 medals, its lowest overall tally in more than two decades. However, the final numbers tell only part of the story, as the Indian contingent secured an impressive fourth-place finish despite competing in a Games that featured significantly fewer sporting disciplines than previous editions.
India finished with 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze medals, placing behind only Australia, England and Canada. The Indian team finished level with host nation Scotland in the total medal count but claimed fourth position after recording a higher number of silver medals.
Reduced Competition Changed Medal Landscape
The Glasgow edition was conducted with a streamlined schedule of 10 sports, compared to 19 sports in the previous Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. The downsized programme resulted in the exclusion of several disciplines that have traditionally contributed heavily to India’s medal tally.
Events such as shooting, wrestling, badminton, table tennis and hockey were not included this time. Collectively, these sports have historically produced a large share of India’s Commonwealth Games success and had contributed 30 medals during the Birmingham Games in 2022.
Despite losing multiple medal opportunities before the Games even began, India remained among the leading nations by making the most of the disciplines that were available.
Boxers Deliver Outstanding Performance
India’s boxing team emerged as the country’s biggest success story in Glasgow, collecting 10 medals, including seven golds and three silvers.
The women’s contingent dominated the competition, with Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas and Arundhati Choudhary winning gold in their respective weight categories. In the men’s events, Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal also finished at the top of the podium.
New Milestones Across Multiple Sports
India also scripted history in judo, where Harsh Singh and Asmita Dey captured the country’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medals in the discipline. Additional podium finishes by Yamini Mourya and Unnati Sharma underlined India’s strongest-ever performance in the sport.
Athletics continued to produce encouraging results. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra claimed the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw, while Gulveer Singh became the first Indian athlete to win two track medals in a single Commonwealth Games after finishing second in the 10,000 metres and third in the 5,000 metres. Tejaswin Shankar also created history by winning India’s maiden Commonwealth medal in the decathlon.
Para-Athletes and Weightlifters Add to Medal Rush
India’s para-athletes enjoyed one of their best outings, securing seven medals, with Sharmila Dhankar, Dilip Mahadu Gavit and Soman Rana winning gold in their respective events.
Weightlifting also remained a reliable source of success. Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu defended her Commonwealth title to win a third consecutive gold medal, while the Indian weightlifting team finished with a total of eight medals.
Bigger Achievement Than the Numbers Suggest
Although India’s medal tally was lower than in previous editions, the result reflects the limited medal opportunities available because of the reduced event schedule rather than a decline in performance.
By producing strong results in sports beyond its traditional strengths, the Indian contingent demonstrated greater depth and adaptability. The Glasgow campaign showcased emerging talent across multiple disciplines and reinforced India’s ability to remain among the Commonwealth’s leading sporting nations despite unprecedented challenges.
