Commonwealth Games

Let the games end: Athletes have better platforms than Commonwealth Games

Six of the 12 disciplines in which India scored medals have been dropped. Fully 30 of the 61 medals India won in the 2022 edition in Birmingham came from sports that won't be on the 2026 roster

PT Usha says exclusion of major sports from CWG is sad but good for future

Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha feels the axing of medal-yielding sports such as wrestling, hockey and badminton from the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games programme is "disappointing" for the country but the approach to reduce cost would ensure that the event continues to find hosts in future. The 23rd edition of the Games is scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2, marking the Scottish capital's return as host after 12 years. Most of the National Sports Federations have been critical of Glasgow's decision to exclude hockey, badminton, wrestling, cricket, shooting, TT, and squash from the roster and have even questioned the relevance of the Games after this move. But Usha said the reasons can't be completely ignored. "The reduction in the sports programme for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is disappointing, but I am sure that you will understand that 2026 games serve as a bridge to the future of the CWG," Usha read out a written statement to PTI Videos on ...

Very bad decision to exclude badminton from Commonwealth Games: Chirag

Former world No.1 doubles shuttler Chirag Shetty termed the exclusion of badminton from the 2026 Commonwealth Games curriculum a wrong decision, and questioned how the organisers could do away with the most popular sport in the event. The 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Tuesday unveiled a heavily scaled-down roster, excluding hockey, shooting, cricket, badminton and wrestling from the curriculum, a move which will severely hurt India's medal prospects at the quadrennial event. "I think it's a very bad decision, to be honest. I can say for badminton, I think it's the most watched sport. It's definitely one of the most watched sports in the Commonwealth Games," said Chirag, who along with partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy is the 2022 Birmingham CWG men's doubles champions, besides being the mixed team gold medallist at Gold Coast in 2018. He said the popularity of the sport in CWG could be gauged from the fact that virtually all badminton competitions are played in front of a packed

I am deeply appalled: Gopichand on Badminton not being a part of CWG 2026

The 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow, will not see these sports because of a cost-cutting measure by the responsible committees.

Sports fraternity helpless as medal-yielding sports excluded from 2026 CWG

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

CWG 2026: Hockey set to be axed; shooting, wrestling may also be dropped

Hockey is set to be axed from the 2026 Commonwealth Games as the host city of Glasgow looks to cut costs, several media reports here stated but both the the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) remained tight-lipped on the matter. Hockey has featured in each CWG since making its debut in 1998, but according to reports here, the Glasgow Games organisers want to drop it from the schedule along with net ball and road racing to ensure a trimmed programme that would be easy on the budget. Two other major sports -- shooting and wrestling -- in which India has had medal hauls in the past editions are also set to be dropped from the 2026 Glasgow CWG roster, which will deal a big blow to the country's hopes. Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) had said in their proposal that all the competitions of the 2026 CWG would be held in venues within an eight-mile-radius. That will rule shooting out of the sports roster as the Barry Buddon centre in Dundee

Glasgow set to be announced as host city of 'scaled down' 2026 CWG: Report

The Scottish capital of Glasgow is set to be announced as the host city of a "scaled down" Commonwealth Games in 2026, a year after Australian state Victoria pulled out due to ballooning costs, according to reports. The 2026 Commonwealth Games were to be held in multiple cities across Victoria but the Australian state made a shock announcement in July 2023 that it has pulled out of the multi-sport event citing a steep rise in projected expenditure. The withdrawal, which led to the Victorian government paying 380 million Australian dollar (around USD 256 million) compensation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), dealt a major blow on an event that has lost relevance in recent years. But it is learnt that the Australian authorities have promised "a multi-million pound investment" to help finalise Glasgow's offer to rescue the multi-sport event. "Glasgow, which hosted the games in 2014, is now close to confirming a scaled down event featuring fewer sports," the BBC reported. "

Manika to play Britain's Hursey, Sharath to take on Slovenia's Kozul

Ace Indian paddler and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra will take on Great Britain's Anna Hursey in the women's singles opening round, while veteran men's player Achanta Sharath Kamal will clash with Deni Kozul of Slovenia on July 27, according to the draws announced on Wednesday. Manika, who is seeded 18th at the Games here, had become the first women's table tennis player from India to make it to the round of 32 in singles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In other opening round matches, Harmeet Desai will take on Abo Yaman of Jordan in men's singles, while 25-year-old Sreeja Akula, seeded 16th, will open her campaign against Swedish player Christina Kallberg. Commonwealth Games champion Sharath Kamal is spearheading a six-member Indian table tennis contingent with the 41-year-old all set to make his fifth appearance at the Olympics. Manika, on the other hand, will play at her third successive Games. Gnanasekaran Sathiyan, a member of India's gold medal-winning men's .

India's Olmypics preparations should be continuous process: Ex-Olympians

India's preparation for the Olympics should be a continuous process and the authorities should not wake up just months before the commencement of the 'greatest show on earth', former Olympians said. They were speaking at a panel discussion here "In search of glory: India's prospects in the 2024 Olympics" organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce at a city hotel on Friday night. Hockey icon Gurbux Singh, a member of the gold-winning hockey team in 1964 Olympics and bronze-winning team in 1968 Olympics, underscored the importance of inculcating a sports culture among the youth, to have sporting infrastructure and grounds at every educational institution. "We wake up when the Olympics comes. The whole country wakes up. That attitude must change," he said, adding that 90 per cent of parents want their children to pursue vocations other than sports. About India's prospects in hockey in the 2024 Olympics, Singh said, "We are in a difficult group and our first target should be to secure a .

In his 5th Olympics, flagbearer Sharath Kamal feels his best is yet to come

Set for his fifth Olympic appearance in Paris, Indian flagbearer Achanta Sharath Kamal feels he is scaling new heights with each passing year and believes his "best is yet to come." The 41-year-old turned the clock back to win three gold medals, including one in men's singles, at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. He returned empty-handed at last year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, but Sharath helped Indian men's team clinch a historic Paris Olympics quota via world rankings following their last-16 finish at the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan in February. "I am happy that I'm scaling new heights with each passing year, besides improving both physically and mentally. I hope the best is yet to come," the top-ranked Indian told PTI. "To highlight one particular achievement from my career would not do justice to my other achievements. The Asian Games bronze (Jakarta 2018) and Commonwealth Games gold are two of the highs of my career," said the Sharath, who boasts of 13 C

US Open: Rajawat, Malvika into quarters; Gayatri-Treesa too advance

India's Priyanshu Rajawat has stormed into the men's singles quarterfinals with a straight-game win over Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu Kai in the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament here. Eighth seed Rajawat, who had won the Orleans Masters in 2023, notched up a 21-18 21-16 win over Huang to set up a clash with fourth seed Lei Lan Xi of China. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also advanced to the women's doubles quarterfinals with a 16-21 21-11 21-19 win over Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Pei Shan and Hung En-Tzu in the second round. The second seeded Indian pair, who received a bye in the opening round, will next face sixth seeded Japanese Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato. Also making it to the last eight is Malvika Bansod, seeded seventh. She beat Czech Republic's Tereza Svabikova 15-21 21-19 21-14 in a women's singles match. Malvika will face a tough test against third seed Kristy Gilmour of Scotland.

Commonwealth Games Village designated strong room, traffic advisory issued

The Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory for Friday for the area around the Commonwealth Games Village, which has been designated as a strong room-cum-counting centre for the Lok Sabha elections. In a post on X, the Delhi Traffic Police on Thursday said, "In view of the Lok Sabha elections, the Commonwealth Games Village is a strong room-cum-counting centre. On 24.05.24, from 9 am to 5 pm, movement of a large number of buses and other vehicles related to election duties are expected." The police advised commuters travelling from Sarai Kale Khan/MGM towards National Highway-24 to proceed straight to Akshardham flyover and take a left turn to reach Pusta Road, ITO or Vikas Marg. People coming from the ITO or Pusta Road side should proceed up to the Akshardham flyover, take a U-turn after crossing the flyover, and then continue on National Highway-24 towards Delhi, it added. The police requested the commuters to cooperate by avoiding the roads mentioned and utilising public ...

India's technical assistance important, says Commonwealth chief

India's technical assistance is critically important to the Commonwealth, the Secretary General of the 56-member organisation said, asserting that it gives a huge amount of hope to many of the developing states to leapfrog the developmental challenges which have already been undertaken and surpassed by India. Patricia Scotland's remarks came as she hosted the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers meeting in London on the theme of Driving Resilience, Equity, and Skills for an Inclusive Future. Scotland welcomed India's willingness to share technological developments with the Commonwealth in an open-source way and hoped for greater commitment towards the organisation's educational goals. At the two-day meeting at the Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House headquarters in London which opened on Thursday, she called on ministers to help eliminate the barriers that impede access to education, harness technology and encourage lifelong learning. India has made it clear t

Commonwealth Games Federation to announce new 2026 host next month

The Commonwealth Games Federation plans to announce a new host for its 2026 event next month, saying it has multiple proposals to replace Australia's Victoria state. The CGF on Monday said it was keeping the proposals confidential. Victoria state lawmakers last July withdrew from plans to host the 2026 Games in three regional hubs, citing escalating costs. Significant progress has been made and we are excited by the early concepts, which aim to reset and reframe the Games, the CGF said in a statement following its April meeting. We are working collaboratively with the relevant (members) to undertake further detailed assessments, and aim to announce the 2026 Commonwealth Games host in May. Victoria state agreed to a compensation package with the Commonwealth Games Federation, which will help offset costs for the next hosts. Australia's Gold Coast, which held the 2018 Commonwealth Games, was flagged as a potential host for 2026 but couldn't get state or federal funding. The CGF said

Decision to cancel 2026 CWG in Australia based on overstated cost estimates

An inquiry into the Australian state of Victoria's decision to cancel its planned hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games said it cost the state 589 million Australian dollars ($385 million) and the price estimate that resulted in it being shelved was overstated and not transparent. Victoria's Auditor-General's Office on Wednesday said agencies failed to work together to give frank, full and timely advice to the government before it decided to host the games. The total cost of the games to Victorians is over $589 million, the office said in a report. This waste would have been avoided." In 2022 the Labor government led by then-Premier Daniel Andrews agreed to host the 2026 Games in regional cities in Victoria at an expected cost of about A$2.6 billion ($1.7 billion). But it pulled out in July 2023 after saying the figure had blown out to A$6.9 billion ($4.5 billion), and instead had to compensate the Commonwealth Games Federation for breaking the contract. Craig Phillips, CEO of ...

Australia unlikely to host 2026 Commonwealth Games as Gold Coast withdraws

Australia is unlikely to be able to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games and sports officials have called on the international federation to consider bids from other countries. Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips made the comments Monday after Gold Coast confirmed it had scrapped its plans to pick up the games after Victoria state withdrew as host in July. Phillips said while Australia hasn't entirely given up on hosting, the Commonwealth Games Federation should seriously consider other offers. We have indicated to (the CGF)... they would have our support in doing that, Phillips told the Australian Associated Press. It's our preference to host here and we will keep going while we think we have got options to explore. But if they have a better option, then they should seriously consider it. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate announced Sunday that the city had scrapped its bid to host the Games after failing to secure support from state or federal governments. Gold Coast,

Parliamentary standing committees that scrutinise Bills get less to do

The 17th Lok Sabha has the worst record compared to the previous three Houses in referring legislation to the institution framework

Commonwealth Games: Why the event is struggling to find a host country

Alberta on Friday pulled the pin on a bid for the 2030 Games, stating the $2.68 billion price tag was too expensive for taxpayers

India will host Olympics in future, says Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

India will organise the Olympics in future, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Thursday, insisting that hosting quality tournaments across various disciplines will help the country become a sporting super power. Earlier this month, Australia's Victoria state withdrew as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to increasing cost. Replying to PTI's query if India is thinking of hosting the 2026 CWG, Thakur said "India will organise the Olympics in future." "We are working in that direction and when the right time comes we will give you the good news. India wants to host the Olympics. "Our athletes are performing well and the federations are becoming more accountable. There is transparency, accountability and professionalism," Thakur said on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships. India is hosting the Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships for the first time from July 28 to August 5 at the Gautam Buddha Universit

Turning 'Victoria's lemon into lemonade': Gold Coast pitch to host CWG 2026

Tate, who was the mayor of the city when it hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, said that he was ready to turn, 'Victoria's lemon into lemonade' for the Gold Coast