Why Are India's 39 Medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 the Lowest in 24 Years, But More Valuable Than Ever?

At first glance, India's 39 medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 are the lowest in 24 years, which may be disappointing to you. But the real reasons behind this are something different, as this year, in 2026, there were only 10 sports included in CWG 2026, as compared to the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where India was stronger in events such as shooting, wrestling, and other sports that were removed.

However, with only 39 medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026, these medals are more valuable for India. 

As in the overall ranking, India stands at 4th place, which is just behind Australia, who won 171 medals, England, who won 110 medals, and Canada, who won 63 medals in the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. 

India's Commonwealth Games 2026 Medal Tally

Why Are India's 39 Medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 the Lowest in 24 Years?

The total medal count for India at the Commonwealth Games 2026, the lowest in 24 years, was not due to poor performance, but rather to the reduced number of sports at the Commonwealth Games 2026.

To cut costs in Glasgow 2026, there were only 10 sports included compared with 19 sports at Birmingham 2022, and the sports which were removed were the strongest events for India to secure medals. 

How many sports are removed from the Commonwealth Games 2026?

There are 6 sports which were not conducted in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which are given below in the table format:

These five sports have traditionally been India's biggest medal contributors, and in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, these disciplines alone produced:

• 30 medals in these six sports and overall 61 medals in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Their absence significantly reduced India's medal opportunities.

How Was India's Performance Better With the Lower Medal Count? 

Instead of relying on its traditional medal-winning sports, India adapted by excelling in events where it had historically won fewer medals.

This shift highlights the growing depth of Indian sport across multiple disciplines.

Sport-wise Medal Performance

Boxing Became India's Biggest Success Story

Indian boxers delivered the country's finest-ever Commonwealth Games boxing campaign.

Boxing Performance

• 10 medals

• 7 Gold medals

• 3 Silver medals

Gold medal winners included:

• Preeti Pawar

• Jaismine Lamboria

• Sakshi Chaudhary

• Priya Ghanghas

• Arundhati Choudhary

• Sachin Siwach

• Ankush Panghal

What are the historic achievements for Indian judo at the Commonwealth Games 2026?

In 2026, Indian judo created the historic achievements at the Commonwealth Games 2026 and achieved India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in judo.

Here are the major achievements given below:

• Asmita Dey won the gold medal in the women's 48 kg category in judo, which was the first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in this category.

• Another historic were created by Harsh Singh, who won the first gold medal in men's for India under 60 kg category for India.

Mirabai Chanu Continued Her Legacy

Mirabai Chanu, who won silver in the women's 49 kg weightlifting category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, has continued her legacy and added another milestone by winning her third consecutive gold in the Commonwealth Games in 2018, 2022, and 2026. 

Besides this, she also won a silver medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She also led India's weightlifting squad to an impressive eight-medal haul, once again proving why she remains one of India's greatest weightlifters.

India's Commonwealth Games Medal Trend for Last 10 Years