Sports Minister Mandaviya lauds India's 39-medal haul at 'trimmed-down' CWG 2026
New Delhi, Aug 3
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya has lauded India's fourth-place finish with 39 medals in the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, a trimmed-down edition that featured just 10 sports, nine fewer than at Birmingham 2022, where India won 30 medals.
India's Glasgow 2026 campaign concluded with 39 medals - 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.
"Bharat signs off from the Commonwealth Games 2026 with a commendable 4th-place finish. Despite Glasgow 2026 being a trimmed-down edition without several disciplines where India traditionally excels, Team India improved from 30 medals in the comparable disciplines at Birmingham 2022 to 39 medals this year.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the growing depth and strength of Indian sport is clearly visible. Proud of every athlete, coach and support staff who gave their all for the Tricolour," Mandaviya posted on X.
The Commonwealth Games 2026 officially came to a close in Glasgow on Sunday as India took over as hosts of the centenary edition of the Games, set to be held in Ahmedabad in 2030.
"As India prepares to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030, we are committed to delivering one of the greatest editions in the history of the Games," he added.
The closing ceremony brought the curtain down on 11 memorable days of sporting action before officially ushering in a new chapter for the Commonwealth movement.
The symbolic handover of the Commonwealth Games flag to Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi marked the beginning of India's journey towards hosting the landmark centenary edition of the Games in Ahmedabad in 2030.
India then launched their journey to Ahmedabad 2030 with a cultural showcase led by acclaimed singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan and former Miss World Manushi Chhillar.
An audiovisual presentation looked ahead to Ahmedabad 2030, tracing India's sporting journey while offering a glimpse of the centenary Commonwealth Games.
The 2030 edition will hold historic significance as it marks the 100th anniversary of the Commonwealth Games, with India becoming only the second nation after Australia to host the event twice.
— IANS
Reader Comments
So proud of our athletes, especially the women's team! But seriously, why was this CWG so trimmed down? Athletics and swimming are the core of these games and we barely had representation there. We need better infrastructure at the grassroots level if we want to compete globally.
Fourth place with 39 medals is decent, but I'd rather see more focus on sports where India already has Olympic potential. The real achievement will be at 2030 home games. Time to start preparing now - 4 years might not be enough!
The cultural showcase by Shankar Mahadevan and Manushi Chhillar was amazing! The handover ceremony really set the stage for 2030. Now we need to ensure our athletes get the best training, nutrition, and facilities. Government schemes like Khelo India are helping, but we need more private investment in sports.
Respect to all medal winners! But let's not forget - we lost out on several disciplines we usually excel at like shooting and wrestling. 39 medals is still a good sign of depth. Just hope the government builds on this momentum for LA 2028 and Ahmedabad 2030. 🏅
Good to see progress, but the fact remains we're still far behind Australia and England in the medal tally. We need to seriously revamp our scouting system and give our rural athletes better exposure. The state governments also need to step up their game.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.