New Delhi, July 21: With the 2026 Commonwealth Games set to get underway in Glasgow on July 23, India’s hopes of securing a respectable medal tally will largely rest on a handful of proven performers as the country sends a 126-member contingent to the Scottish city.
Although the Games have been significantly scaled down, with several medal-rich sports such as wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis dropped from the programme, India will still rely on Olympic and World Championship medallists to deliver on the biggest stage of the Commonwealth.
Having finished fourth with 61 medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, India face a far tougher challenge this time due to the reduced number of sports. Athletics, boxing and weightlifting are expected to provide the bulk of the country’s medal opportunities.
Leading the Indian challenge is Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who will be aiming to add a second Commonwealth Games medal to his collection. Chopra missed the 2022 Birmingham Games because of a groin injury but has since enjoyed an eventful few years, claiming silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a silver medal at the Doha Diamond League and gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games.The 28-year-old also achieved a major career milestone in 2025 by becoming the first Indian to breach the coveted 90-metre mark with a personal best throw of 90.23 metres at the Doha Diamond League. However, an injury interrupted his progress, keeping him out of action for nine months before he returned to competition earlier this year.
Despite admitting that he is still working his way back to peak fitness, Chopra remains one of India’s strongest gold medal prospects, although he is expected to face stiff competition from Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage and compatriot Rohit Yadav.
Weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu will also carry India’s medal hopes. The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth champion has remained one of India’s most consistent performers over the past decade.
The 31-year-old enters the Games in encouraging form after producing an impressive performance at the 2026 National Weightlifting Championships, where she lifted a total of 205kg in the women’s 48kg category, equalling her personal best while setting new national records in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall total. Although she fell short of a medal at the Paris Olympics, Chanu is widely regarded as one of India’s leading contenders for another Commonwealth title.
In boxing, former world champion Lovlina Borgohain will look to complete her collection of major international medals by winning her first Commonwealth Games podium finish.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist followed her Olympic success with a world title in 2023 and an Asian Games silver medal the same year. While her campaign at the Paris Olympics ended in the quarter-finals and her transition to the 75kg category has presented fresh challenges, Lovlina remains one of India’s most experienced and decorated boxers heading into Glasgow.
Another athlete expected to make a strong impact is long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who returns to the Commonwealth Games after winning silver in Birmingham four years ago.
The 27-year-old has staged a remarkable comeback after a serious knee injury ruled him out of the Paris Olympics in 2024. Last month, he produced the second-best jump of his career with an effort of 8.38 metres at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, reinforcing his credentials as one of India’s brightest medal hopes despite continuing to manage the long-term effects of his injury.
With several traditional medal-winning sports absent from the Glasgow programme, India’s campaign is expected to hinge on the performances of these established stars. Their success could prove crucial as the country attempts to overcome the challenges posed by a reduced Commonwealth Games schedule and maintain its status among the leading sporting nations in the competition. (Agencies)
