-Abhishek Vij
The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Australia, concluded on a grand note. Seventyfour nations participated in this edition of the Games. Thanks to the outstanding performance of Indian athletes, India secured fourth place on the medal tally—a feat that had not been anticipated. Australia topped the table with a total of 171 medals, followed by England in second place with 110 medals and Canada in third with 62 medals. India secured a total of 39 medals, finishing fourth overall.
Scotland also delivered a commendable performance. Australia won the highest number of gold medals (70), followed by England (29) and Canada (19), while India’s haul of 39 medals included 13 golds. Securing fourth place and winning 13 gold medals stands as a testament to the excellent performance of India and its athletes. Notably, many of the events where India could have delivered spectacular results were not included in this edition of the Commonwealth Games; nevertheless, Indian athletes amassed a significant number of medals. Before the Games began, few would have expected India to feature among the top-ranking nations. India demonstrated its prowess in boxing, weightlifting, athletics, para-athletics, judo, and para-powerlifting. The global significance of the Commonwealth Games lies in the fact that they serve as a proving ground—or a trial run—for young athletes before they compete in the world-renowned Olympic Games.
Given that India faces a shortage of coaching facilities, adequate sports grounds, and proper incentives and training for athletes, the fact that our competitors achieved such a high ranking with great zeal and enthusiasm can be considered excellent preparation for the Olympics. At the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the responsibility of hosting the next Commonwealth Games in 2030 was entrusted to India. India is accepting this responsibility with great enthusiasm and delight. These games will be held in Ahmedabad; effectively, the upcoming event will be known as the Ahmedabad Commonwealth Games. The 11-day event in Glasgow saw the participation of 3,000 athletes and drew a crowd of 434,000 spectators. A notable highlight for India was that female athletes won eight of the country’s total gold medals, while male athletes won five. The takeaway here is that women are not lagging behind men in any field; rather, they are leading the way. Australia successfully demonstrated how to organize these games at one-third of the cost compared to the 2014 edition.
Now, the opportunity has passed to India. Following the Commonwealth Games, India is also in the race to host the 2036 Olympic Games and has already submitted its bid. If India successfully hosts the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad— building on the experience of Delhi 2010—it will pave the way for securing the hosting rights for the Olympics as well. Moreover, Indian athletes can look forward to delivering even better performances at the Ahmedabad Commonwealth Games, as the event may include several sports popular in India that were not featured in Glasgow. For instance, India excels in disciplines such as archery and wrestling; by performing well in these competitions, the country could significantly boost its medal tally