India has participated in every Commonwealth Games since 1934 except for four editions (1930, 1950, 1962, and 1986). When India debuted, the tournament was called the British Empire Games, back in 1934. India at Commonwealth Games has won 503 medals in total since its debut.

In London 1934 Commonwealth Games, six athletes competed from India in 10 track and field events and one wrestling event. Rashid Anwar, the Indian wrestler who competed in the men's 74kg freestyle wrestling event, brought the first medal for India. Since their debut, India have achieved 503 medals which include 181 gold, 173 silver, and 149 bronze. Let's look back a little and take a tour of the medals which is won by India at Commonwealth Games since 1934.

Also read: Top 5 Indians with most medals in Commonwealth Games

India at Commonwealth Games since 1934

Before its independence, India participated in athletics but medals were few and far between until things took a turn for the better in 1958. In the 1958 CWG, India bagged 3 medals - 2 gold and 1 silver. Since then, India did not have to look back ever. Milkha Singh, the legendary sprinter brought the first gold for India at the 1958 Commonwealth Games after clinching the top spot in the men's 440-yard event. Heavyweight wrestler, Lila Ram also won gold in the men's 100kg freestyle category in the same year.

Not only that, the Cardiff 1958 was a historic year because, in that edition, Indian women participated for the first time. Track and field athletes Stephanie D'Souza and Elizabeth Devenport became the first Indian women to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

Also read: Commonwealth Games 2022: Full schedule and fixture of Women's Cricket matches

The 2010 Commonwealth Games remains India's most successful Commonwealth Games until now. In this edition, they bagged 101 medals in total- 39 gold medals, 26 silvers and 36 bronze and finish second on the medals leaderboard.

Since the 2000s, India have consistently finished among the top five countries in the medals table. Indian athletes are improving themselves day by day and they are all set to keep the purple patch going at Birmingham 2022. Indians are ready to give their best in the 2022 edition which will start on July 28.

On Tuesday, the organizers of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 confirmed that only 10 sports will be played in limited venues to keep the finances in check. 

A previously proposed event, that had a minimum of 20 disciplines was reduced to half, which has sparked disappointments amongst many Indians. The reason is quite simple. The Indian-dominated sports like badminton, hockey, cricket, and weightlifting have been axed. 

Not only that, a sport like squash, which gets major highlights in the CWG due to its absence in the Olympics, has been eliminated.

The IOA (Indian Olympics Association) president, PT Usha, too expressed her despondency towards the decision. But, why? 

The point is, how relevant are "Commonwealth Games," previously known as "British Empire Games," in a decolonized era?

The Idea behind Commonwealth Games

A brainchild of revered Canadian sportswriter and editor Melville Marks Robinson, the Commonwealth Games had its origin in 1930, bearing an essence of still-accepted colonialism. A total of 54 countries, who were once colonies of the British Empire, participated in this event.

The 2022 version, however, saw 72 nations participating.

Inspired by the 1911 Inter Empire Championships, this unique event has been hosted across nine countries. Australia and Canada lead with five editions each. 

Standing in 2024, when the phrase "third-world country" seems nonexistent, who would ever succumb to the pre-established boot-licking attitude toward the English, that too spending some billion dollars for hosting?

Finance definitely raises eyebrows, but the motto it has been carrying for so long should come into question, even in countries like India.

U-turn from Australia to Glasgow

Australia, a country that has hosted the event at least five times, has denied hosting it. Initially, it was Victoria's assignment to conduct the event. However, the arrangement costs skyrocketed from an estimated Aus$2 billion to an alarming Aus$7 billion.

Premier Daniel Andrews, in the press conference in Melbourne, clearly stated that he would never dare to pluck in a huge sum from the funds of hospitals and schools for a sporting event. 

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) scrambled to find a replacement, offering Malaysia £100 million to step in. Even with such a hefty financial contribution, Malaysia turned down the offer, citing insufficient preparation time and the prohibitive costs of hosting the event.

Even Canada's Alberta province last year withdrew its support for a bid for the 2030 Games.

Financial Suffering

The rejections have somehow brought in a raw, uncut picture to the world. The sentiments, accompanied by the suffering, take a long time to recover.

Countries are unwilling to foot the massive bill for an event, even when provided with financial assistance. The event brings in little to no economic return and dwindling global interest.

The Commonwealth Games, which seemed like a prestigious event, has been a burden — a relic of the past whose significance is diminishing in a world with far more pressing priorities.

Glasgow steps in

Following the repeated rejections, there was a point when the Commonwealth Games future looked uncertain for the 2026 version. Countries backing out brought clouds of a postponed tournament before its centenary year in 2030.

At that point, Glasgow stepped in. Glasgow had its experience of hosting a CWG, as it did in 2014. This time, it made the event easy.

Glasgow decided to host a severely pared-down version of the CWG in 2026, with 4 venues in an 8-mile radius. Not only that, the number of participants will also be restricted.

Birmingham's Commonwealth Games: A Legacy of Financial Strain?

Birmingham stepped up to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games when Durban withdrew, promising a grand event to boost the city. However, financial issues soon arose, leading to political tension and public concern.

Max Caller, former adviser to Birmingham City Council, called the decision to host the Games "a mistake" amidst longstanding financial problems. Hosting the event diverted attention from the council’s critical issues, including a £760 million bill for equal pay claims and a botched IT system that may cost £100 million to fix.

While the Games were an "amazing event," their financial aftermath sparked debates, with citizens worried about budget cuts affecting essential services. Community centres, libraries, and even the famed German Christmas Market could face closures as the council struggles with bankruptcy.

But is finance the real concern?

India had hosted the 2010 CWG, followed by financial turmoil in the country. It took years for the country to overcome. India has now successfully bid for the Olympics 2036. 

Hosting the Olympics has also led to never-ending financial scars for many countries. Athens is a prominent name in that. 

But yet, countries hardly step back to host it. Is it really the finances or the pride that pushes them to bid for the Olympics?

Will India suffer from the reduction?

In the idealistic world of sport, India shouldn't. In such a situation, the question comes: how relevant is CWG to the sporting world? 

With the rising popularity of the Asian Games that have dominated countries like China and the Olympics, which is the oldest and largest form of multidisciplinary sports event, CWG falls short in both glamour and relevance.

The limited exposure giving year-old consolation to the country with an "international medal" has been falling short repeatedly in the Olympics. The count of CWG medalist athletes who have earned a medal in the Olympics is relatively low. A Mirabai Chanu, a PV Sindhu, or a Neeraj Chopra is countable. 

When at one corner, it is justified to be upset knowing that Indian dominance has been restricted, then at the other corner, another question gets tossed—why does India need going-to-be-abolished events to prove its excellence? 

India, which takes pride in being a sporting excellence and a country that tried to push cricket hard in the Olympics, should think if it's really dominant or not.

Does Commonwealth participation assure greatness?

Usain Bolt, at his peak point in his career, decided to participate only in the 4x100m relay in Glasgow (2014). Not only that, he was nowhere in New Delhi (2010) too, despite India's desperate request to have him.

Sir Chris Hoy, too, stayed away from the Delhi games because a win wouldn't have added any decorated feather to his already stellar career.

In the harshest reality, a hundred medals won't assure at least 50 medals in the Asian Games itself. Olympics are out of reach!

Medal tally for India in CWG, in its popular sport

In a blow to India's medal chances at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, host city Glasgow has dropped cricket from the Games due to low budget. Glasgow has selected and shortlisted budget-friendly sports for the Games.

Also Read: Top 3 Cricket stadiums in India with better drainage system

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir said in a statement, "The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow - an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact - in doing so increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting."

10 events will be played in 2026 Commonwealth Games

Hockey, badminton, wrestling, shooting, Table tennis, squash, and triathlon have also been dropped to limit the budget and streamline logistics. Only four venues in Glasgow will host the entire Games. The total number of events at the 2026 Commonwealth Games will be ten, fewer than the 2022 Birmingham edition.

Among the sports that have been removed from the Commonwealth Games, India had finished on the podium in the previous edition in Birmingham in 2022. India had won 61 medals, including 22 gold, in the last edition of the Games. 12 in wrestling, seven each in boxing and table tennis, six in badminton, two each in hockey and squash and one in cricket – more than half of the total medals.

Cricket was re-introduced after 24-year gap

Cricket was re-introduced after a 24-year gap in the Commonwealth Games 2022 in which the Indian women's team won the silver medal. Australia won the gold, beating India in the final, and New Zealand won the bronze. Back in 1998, South Africa had won the men's 50-over gold, with Australia winning silver and New Zealand winning bronze.

The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games will start from July 23 in 2026 and will continue till August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland, returning to the city 12 years after the hugely successful 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Also Read: Neetu David: The Spin Queen of Indian Women’s Cricket Immortalized in the ICC Hall of Fame

Reason behind the exclusion of these sports

The 2026 Commonwealth Games were earlier to be held in Sydney, Australia, but the Kangaroo country had backed out citing financial constraints as the reason. Then Glasgow had shown interest in these games with some conditions, it had presented a plan to organize these games with fewer games, which was approved by the Commonwealth Federation, that is why 6 games have been excluded.

A lot of instances have seen cricket being differentiated from other sports. Especially, in South Asian countries, where cricket rules a fraternity, "sports" look doomed. An established "Cricket versus Sports" league is not a 2-month long tournament. It's an age-long duel with apparent results. But, is cricket guilty?

If we look back, Cricket was not as big as it is now. Restricted within the allies of a colonized country, cricket was just a time pass. 36 years to Independence, but a famous singer (Lata Mangeshkar) had to arrange a charity musical show to gather prize money for the 1983 World Cup Winners.

India gained some confidence since then. the biggest boost came after the win in the inaugurating T20 World Cup Win. 2007, 24the September, exactly 20 years back, the seed of the cash-rich league got sown. 

Indian Premier League, started in 2008, is the biggest source of money earning for BCCI. Keeping aside BCCI, the neighbouring cricketing nations have their cricket board more powerful than the other boards. But is this a fault of Cricket?

"Athletes" ignites the fire of "Cricket versus Sport" League

India won its second T20I World Cup after ending its 11 years of drought. The fans who were frustrated for a decade finally got one thing to celebrate. The Marine Drive got flooded with people. The Wankahde Stadium showed all its suppresed love to the team.

Felicitations came from their respective state governments. BCCI provided a huge lump of prize money to the players and the support staff.

But this has triggered athletes from different sports. Names like Chirag Shetty and Saina Nehwal came into the limelight criticizing the sport. When Shetty wanted equal recognition for India's win in the last Uber Cup, Saina went a step ahead. Her view was simple- people wouldn't even hate cricket even if she did so. But, why would someone hate cricket?

This is not a once or twice-told story. This widespread competition with cricket is not new. But is cricket a foe to other sports? Here are a few stories of "influence" and "idolization" in the recent past, not only from India but from neighbors too.

Sri Lanka Cricket funded CWG participating athletes.

The pre-2022 Commonwealth Games has seen an economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Not just economic, but the life on the island was distressed. The then Prime Minister Rajadhakshya fled from the country. Sri Lanka since its independence faced their record crisis.

The country fell short of food and fuel. The pandemic had already hit the Sports authorities. The crisis increased the hardships. They ran out of money. The situation was so pathetic that the boards couldn't manage transport to send the accessories to the athletes

At a point, the country thought of withdrawing its name from the Birmingham CWG. But at that very moment, Sri Lanka Cricket stepped in.

The board contributed 22 million Sri Lankan Rupees to the athletes participating. They hosted Australia and gathered the amount, despite the fears of the crowd ruining it.

Cricket Sri Lanka tried to cover all the funds. However, the athletes still had limited athleisure. CWG authorities too came in help for the athletes. Sri Lanka finished the CWG Campaign with four medals (one silver and three bronze).

Pakistan Cricket Board- the unsung sponsor for Arshad Nadeem

The Paris Olympics Gold medallist Arshad Nadeem was initially an age-group cricket player, His focus later shifted to javelin through which Pakistan got its first medal after 1992.

Arshad Nadeem registered a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres sealing the gold for his country. Earlier he won the silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Budapest, with a throw of 87.82 meters. He gave Pakistan’s first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.

But what did Pakistan give him? ignorance! The Commonwealth champion earlier expressed that he has been using a javelin for the last 8 years. His bosom friend and admirer Neeraj Chopra from India tweeted, urging the Pakistan Government to buy Nadeem news javelins.

Nadeem hails from Punjab's Miyan Channu village. Struggling themselves, the villagers funded him for his Olympic campaign. Added, that it was the Pakistan Cricket Bard who sponsored him.

PCB also financed Nadeem and his coach Salman Fayyaz Butt's air tickets.

Read also: A Bronze costs just USD 100: Trembling Future of Pakistan Hockey Team

BCCI's baby steps for Olympians

Earlier BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced financial aid for the Olympians.BCCI granted Rs. 8.5 Crores (approximately $1.03 million) to the Indian Olympic Association for their Olympics campaign.

Recently a new NCA (National Cricket Academy) is near completion. The old existing facilities at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the city center will be upgraded to a multi-sport training facility.

Apart from the cricketers, it will open doors for the Olympians too. NCA will have new facilities that will let them train there.

The new facilities will have World-Class Playing Grounds will have:

• 45 Practice Pitches: A variety of pitches to cater to different training needs.
• Indoor Cricket Facilities: For year-round practice and skill development.
• Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool: To aid in recovery and cross-training for athletes.
• State-of-the-Art Training and Recovery Facilities: Equipped with the latest sports science technology to help athletes maintain peak physical condition and recover efficiently from injuries.

Cricketer- "athlete" collaboration

When one section came forward criticizing the fame, the other one took it handy to make their own.

Mahi's influence

Speaking about Swapnil Kusale, he himself mentioned that he doesn't follow any other sport apart from shooting. But he follows Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kusale, who is an Indian Railways employee is a ticket checker like Dhoni. It took him 12 years to feature in the Olympics. And take India's first ever 10m Rifle position 3 medal. The Asian Games Champion accepted that MS's calm personality helps him to stay calm in chaos.

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The Kohli aggression

One of the biggest heartbreak for any badminton fan was Lakshya Sen's exit from the Olympics without a medal. The Chinese Lee Zii Jia shattered Sen's bronze medal dream. 

But Sen's popularity is still unmatched in the sports arena. Even though he is "big," he still wants to "be the Virat Kohli of Indian badminton in coming years." In "The Ranveer Show" podcast he expressed his admiration for Kohli.

The other name that comes in the list is Nitesh Kumar. The Olympic Champion in the Men's Singles SL3 category is a Kohli fan. His winning celebration had some glimpses of Kohli's aggression.

But Nitesh's love for Kohli is not limited to celebrations. After succumbing to a deadly injury in Vizag, he started upgrading his badminton skills. Not only that, he delved himself into fitness, inspired by the 2013 version of Kohli.

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The Wall looks upon The Wall

Soon after retirement, Indian Men's Hockey team goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was assigned to train the junior hockey team. The two-time Olympic Bronze medallist was delighted to get this role. he not only talked about the future prospects but did mentioned about Rahul Dravid.

"The Wall" of Indian Hockey looked upon "The Wall" of Indian Cricket when it came to coaching. The way Dravid devoted himself to training the cricketing juniors, Seejesh is looking forward to doing the same for his sports.

Read also: Hockey India decides to retire jersey No. 16 in honor of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

Cricket is another sport

The 2028 Olympics will feature Cricket after 128 years. The brand value of Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in the addition of cricket. But as Sunil Chhetri, the Indian former captain of Indian Football once said, Cricket excelling is great for that country. Then, how does that justify other sports not getting the "love" cricket gets?

How does that justify Chirag Shetty repeatedly slipping down on the court, in the Olympics quarterfinal, having his partner Sattwikraj Rankireddy as the lone warrior? 

How does that justify the associations not getting enough funds and definitely investing to find talent?

How does that justify archers failing to read the wind in bigger stages?

It's an open-ended question. Is it cricket the enemy, or the system? Is cricket actually an enemy or a friend in need?

Indian badminton player Malvika Bansod continued her brilliant form and entered the Super 1000 quarter-finals for the first time by winning a tough match against her higher ranked opponent Kirsty Gilmour at the China Open 2024 in Changzhou on Thursday.

Also Read: India at Paralympics: Medals by every edition

Malvika Bansod, BWF ranking 43rd, toiled hard for one hour and five minutes before defeating two-time Commonwealth Games medalist and world number 25 Gilmour of Scotland 21-17 19-21 21-16 in the women's singles round-of-16 match.

Earlier defeated Paris Olympics bronze medalist

The 23-year-old player achieved this victory a day after defeating the Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia. 

However, Malvika Bansod, the only Indian shuttler left in the competition, faces a tough challenge as she will face fourth seed and two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the last eight stage.

Although the Japanese shuttler has won both the matches against Malvika, the Indian shuttler came close to defeating  Yamaguchi and she is hopeful that she will be able to register victory this time.

Malvika's sensational performance in pre-quarterfinals

In the opening game against Gilmour, Malvika was down 11-5 at the break. The Indian shuttler brought down the deficit to two points at 16-14 and then won seven of the next eight points to go one game up in the contest. Gilmour, drew on her experience to mount a comeback and close a tight second game.

Malvika surged to an eight-point lead at 10-2 in the decider. She later extended her advantage to 20-11. Gilmour fought back with five consecutive points to make it 20-16 but the late fightback proved too little for Malvika, who comfortably sealed her spot in the quarter-finals.

Love, both on and off the field, has its own magic, and as we celebrate Valentine's Day, what better way to revel in the spirit of romance than by exploring the heartwarming tales of Indian sports couples? Beyond the victories and defeats, these athletes have found love in each other, creating a symphony of passion and companionship. In this special feature, we dive into the lives of the Top 8 Indian Sports Couples, unravelling their unique stories that go beyond the sports arena.

Top 10 Indian Sports Couples and their stories

Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap

The Indian badminton stars are one of the most prominent Indian Sports Couples. Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap met each other through badminton in 1997. But they started meeting each other in 2002 when they trained together in Hyderabad. They started dating in 2004 when they started training under Pullela Gopichand. Though at first, they decided to keep it a secret and appeared in public just as close friends. Finally, they broke out as a couple and got married in 2018.

"We dated for a long, long time. It was childish that we hid it from all our friends. We would be very secretive about it. We were shy and scared," Kashyap said about their early dating life. Both the badminton stars have been a motivating force for their partners through tough times with injuries and forms. Since mid-2018, Kashyap started coaching Saina as well. 

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Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal

Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal are one of Indian Sports Couples who do not belong to the same sports. Dinesh Karthik, a prominent name in Indian cricket and Dipika Pallikal, one of the best squash players in the country met each other in a gym. Dipika, who did not use to like cricketers due to their popularity, cleared his misconceptions about Indian Cricketers when she started having a friendship with Dinesh. Soon, they started going out and the friendship turned into love. 

On 15 November 2013, the couple made their relationship official with an engagement ceremony and later married in 2015 in Chennai. The couple now are blessed with two twin baby boys.

Also Read: 'Dhoni mania was so big that you had to pick him…He replaced me in all formats', – Dinesh Karthik

Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur

Milkha Singha and Nirmal Kaur were probably the first-ever Indian Sports Couple. Mikha Singh, a sensational track and field athlete met Nirmal Kaur, the then captain of the Indian Volleyball Women's team during a tour in Sri Lanka. "It was in 1957 during the Indo-Ceylon sports meet that I met Nirmal for the first time," Milkha Singh had told The Tribune during an interview.

In 1962, Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur got married and they had three daughters and a son. India's golf sensation Jeev Milkha Singh is their son. Both Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur passed away in a difference of five days in 2021 due to Covid-19.

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Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari

The biggest names of Indian Archery, Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari first met each other in 2008 at Tata Academy in Jamshedpur. The early days of their relationship were filled with misunderstandings, communication gaps, and two big egos. Since Atanu was not very good with his Hindi, he never used to talk with Deepika in their early days. "He didn't know Hindi then, so he wouldn't talk to me," Deepika told Indian Express in an interview. 

Though they used to fight over small things during their time in training, the duo started liking each other during the 2017 World Championships and started going out shopping together. They got engaged the following year and tied the knot on 30 June 2020.

Also Read: Mohammed Shami Receives Arjuna Award; Badminton Duo Satwik & Chirag Collect the Khel Ratna Award

Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat

One of the biggest names in Indian Wrestling Bajrang Punia and Sangeet Phogat found their love in their profession. Both wrestlers first met each other at a wrestling camp in Sonepat and started liking each other. Bajrang would send his phone number to Sangeeta expecting to get a reply from her. However, Sangeeta did not reply to her. But, the next day they met each other in training and expressed liking for each other. The wrestlers got married in November 2020.

Pullela Gopichand and PVV Lakshmi

Pullela Gopichand, the backbone of the Indian badminton revolution found his love in the Badminton court itself. PVV Lakshmi, the 8-time national champion married Gopichand on June 5 2002. Gopichand rose to fame after winning the All England Badminton Championships in 2001 and won the Arjuna Award that year as well. Meanwhile, PVV Lakshmi was the first-ever Indian women shuttler to qualify for the Olympics. She featured in the 1992 & 1996 Olympics.

PVV Lakshmi stood as a pillar of strength for Gopichand when he started building the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. Lakshmi would help Pullela with some monetary help during their early days of building the academy. They even went on to mortgage their family home to raise money for the academy. They have two children, a daughter named Gayathri and a son named Vishnu. Gayathri is already a rising name in World Badminton.

Anju Bobby George and Robert Bobby George

The queen of Indian Athletics Anju Bobby George and former triple jump National champion come at number seven in our list of Indian Sports Couples. Anju Bobby George was the first Indian to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships when she won the bronze in the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris. At that time Robert used to be her coach and after her historic medal in 2003, Robert won the Dronacharya award in 2004 as well.

Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadian

It looks like wrestlers find their love in their sport more than often. Sakshi Malik, the Rio Olympic Bronze Medal winner and Satyawart Kadian, a silver medalist in the 2014 Commonwealth Games used to go to the same school as teenagers. 

Though Satyawart used to be a heavyweight champion since his early days, she used to always shy away from Sakshi Malik, the star of his school. However, the two started bonding with time and supported each other in tough times. Satyawart missed the Rio Olympics berth by one second but kept on supporting Sakshi even though he was having a tough time personally. They both tied the knot in 2017 after Sakshi's historical medal in 2016.