India's Vinesh Phogat celebrates after winning against Sri Lanka's Chamodya Keshani Maduravalage Don
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: India's leading sportspersons and administrators expressed surprise and helplessness after the country's medal prospects took a hit with the exclusion of hockey, shooting, cricket, badminton and wrestling from the roster of a heavily scaled-down 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Relocated to the Scottish capital after Victoria's withdrawal as host due to an increase in projected costs, the Games will feature just 10 events, which is nine less than the previous edition held in 2022 in Birmingham.
Table tennis, squash and archery are also not part of what will be a massively pruned down Games. The organisers have said having lesser events at just four venues will ensure that the showpiece is able to manage the financial and operational risks involved.
But the roster has stunned the Indian sports fraternity.
"It's a shocking news and very disappointing but it's not in our hands," said Harmanpreet Singh, under whose captaincy the Indian men's hockey team won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August.
Table tennis great Sharath Kamal, who has won innumerable medals at Commonwealth Games over the last two decades, understood the impact the games organisers' decision could have on the country's overall tally.
"It is a pity that table tennis has been taken off the CWG programme but the organisers have informed they had very short notice as it moved from Melbourne to Glasgow.
"Unfortunately it is not part of the 10 sports. It is a quite a hit for all the sports which have been excluded. Especially table tennis where we have won gold medals," Sharath told PTI.
Sharath's compatriot G Sathiyan added, "It is disappointing...to see a mainstream sport like table tennis get excluded is surprising. Huge loss for the Indian table tennis fraternity. Hope something can be done. It is a shocker for all of us," Sathiyan said.
One of the country's finest squash players, Dipika Pallikal expressed her disappointment when reached out for a reaction.
"Whenever it seems like we are moving a few steps forward for the sport, we are suddenly pulled back two steps. Huge loss for the Commonwealth countries that our sport isn't included.
"I think squash really deserves to be part of all the multi sport events and it's definitely a huge loss that our sport cannot be showcased at the CWG," she said.
India sent 210 athletes to the 2022 Birmingham Games across 16 sports, winning 61 medals in the process with 30 of those podium finishes coming from disciplines that won't be there at the Glasgow Games.
FIH, Hockey India disappointed
The news of hockey's omission from the program did not go down well with the sport's global governing body (FIH) as well as Hockey India.
"Most of the medal winning sports for India have been dropped. The IOA should take up the matter. On our part, we have put our grievances to FIH and they are taking up the matter with CGF," Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh told PTI.
The international hockey federation also issued a statement, expressing its displeasure.
"... Whilst we've taken note that the new concept for 2026 has been downsized, with a core offering of only 10 sports, we're all the more disappointed by the CGF's decision...our sport has been played at every Commonwealth Games since 1998, something we are very proud of," the FIH said in the statement.
Likewise, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh too did not hide his displeasure and said the decision was taken despite their "best efforts" to convince the organisers to keep the sport.
"It is naturally very disappointing. India has always been a very strong wrestling nation at the CWG. It's definitely going to hurt the wrestling community in India. We tried our best to convince CGF to keep the sport on the roster.
"But if you see, Scotland does not have strong wrestlers, so they must have looked at their own medal prospects which usually the host nations do," said Sanjay Singh.
Badminton, another sport in which India generally does well at the Games, has also been dropped, and those governing the sport in the country described the pruning of disciplines as a "huge setback" for the country.
"It's shocking and a huge setback for Indian sports, with nearly 40 medals at risk from the dropped events. This isn't just a loss for sports and sportspersons; it feels like a conspiracy to sideline India's rising sporting potential in the region," said Badminton Association of India's general secretary Sanjay Mishra.
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) chief Kalikesh Singh Deo said they went to the extent of offering to host the shooting events of the 2026 Games in India. Shooting, though, was also not part of the Birmingham Games alongside archery.
"This will be a very different Commonwealth Games with many popular Olympic sports not included in what will be a watered down version of the Games.
"We can only wish those who will participate all the best. The Govt of India, Ministry of Sports and IOA did everything possible to include sports which India are traditionally strong in," Kalikesh said.
"NRAI offered to host the shooting part of the games in India subject to relevant approvals. In the end we should rally around and appreciate Scotland's effort in hosting the Games," he added.