India’s fourth-place finish at the 2026 Commonwealth Games was, on paper, another successful campaign. The contingent returned home with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, despite competing in one of the leanest editions of the Games in recent history.
Only Australia, England and Canada finished above India in the medal standings, while hosts Scotland ended with the same overall tally of 39 medals but were ranked lower because they won fewer silver medals. Yet, as impressive as India’s performance was, the final medal count only tells part of the story.
INDIA’S MISSING MEDALS AT CWG
The Glasgow Games featured a heavily reduced programme of just 10 sports, leaving out several disciplines that have traditionally been India’s biggest medal factories. Shooting, wrestling, badminton and table tennis were all absent, significantly reducing India’s medal opportunities.
Those four sports have consistently delivered some of India’s biggest returns at the Commonwealth Games. Shooting fetched an incredible 27 medals the last time it featured in Gold Coast in 2018. Wrestling added 12 medals at Birmingham 2022, while badminton contributed six. Table tennis was another major contributor, with India winning seven medals in Birmingham.
Together, those four disciplines accounted for 52 medals the last time they featured in the Games.
It would, of course, be unrealistic to simply add those medals to India’s Glasgow tally. Different editions bring different levels of competition, athlete form and qualification standards. Even so, the numbers offer a glimpse of the medal potential India was unable to tap into because of the reduced programme.
CWG 2026 CLOSING CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS
Despite the missing disciplines, India still produced one of its most balanced Commonwealth Games campaigns. Boxing led the way with 10 medals, including seven gold, while athletics enjoyed one of its finest editions. It is worth pointing out, however, that the boxing field was very weak and India virtually had no competition.
Weightlifting, judo and para sports also made significant contributions, ensuring India remained among the top four nations.
The campaign highlighted India’s growing depth beyond its traditional strengths. Instead of relying on a handful of sports, the contingent found medals across multiple disciplines, underlining the country’s expanding sporting ecosystem.
Even then, it is difficult not to imagine what the final standings could have looked like had the full Commonwealth Games programme been retained.
INDIA’S TRUE CWG POTENTIAL
Had India’s traditional medal-winning sports been part of the Glasgow schedule and produced results comparable to previous editions, the contingent could realistically have finished with well over 70-75 medals, giving it a genuine chance of challenging Canada for third place.
Instead, India leaves Glasgow with 39 medals, an impressive return in the circumstances, but also a reminder that the country’s full Commonwealth Games strength was never truly on display.
That opportunity may now come at the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, where India is expected to compete in a far more familiar sporting programme. Glasgow showed that India can finish among the top nations even without several of its biggest medal-winning sports.
If shooting, wrestling, badminton and table tennis return and deliver anywhere close to their previous Commonwealth returns, the 39-medal haul from Glasgow could end up looking like only half the story.
– Ends
