New Delhi . Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary Sanjay Mishra has expressed disappointment over the exclusion of major sports from the Commonwealth Games 2026, saying it seems like a “conspiracy to sideline India's growing sporting potential”.
The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August 2026, featuring only 10 sports.
The games list for Glasgow 2026 is much weaker than that of Birmingham 2022. Hockey, cricket, badminton, wrestling, table tennis, squash are not included in this. While shooting, which was also removed from Birmingham 2022, is still out of action at these Games.
“This is shocking and a huge blow to Indian sports, as around 40 medals are at risk due to the removed sports. This is not just a loss to the sport and the players; it is a huge blow to the region,” the BAI secretary said in a statement. There is a conspiracy to sideline India's growing sporting potential.”
In badminton, India has won 31 medals including 10 gold, 8 silver and 13 bronze in the history of these games. It is noteworthy that India was to enter the 2026 edition as the defending champions in men's and women's singles as well as men's doubles.
“The Badminton Association of India is in complete protest and will be contacting all relevant authorities in the Commonwealth and BWF, as well as the highest levels of government in the country, to advocate for the future of Indian sports,” he said.
Pulling out major sports is a major blow to India's medal hopes in 2026. Shooting and wrestling have been the biggest medal winning sports for India at the Commonwealth Games.
The exclusion of field hockey also means that the sport will be left out of the Commonwealth Games for the first time since its debut in 1998.
In the last Games, India won 61 medals including 22 gold. Wrestling (12), weightlifting (10), athletics (8), boxing and table tennis (7 each) contributed the most to the total.
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Image Credit: KhasKhabar.