Glasgow: India will begin its campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Thursday, with Lawn Bowls opening the country’s medal quest. A 126 member Indian contingent will compete across multiple disciplines, aiming for a strong performance despite the absence of sports such as wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis from this edition.
India’s biggest medal hopes rest on athletics, weightlifting and boxing. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra headlines the athletics squad and will be among the favourites in the men’s javelin throw. He is expected to face stiff competition from Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. Other leading Indian athletes include long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, triple jumper Praveen Chithravel and distance runner Gulveer Singh.
In weightlifting, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is one of India’s strongest gold medal contenders in the women’s 48 kg category. She will be joined by Bindyarani Devi and Gyaneshwari Yadav, who are also expected to challenge for podium finishes.
The boxing team is led by Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain, who will compete in the women’s 75 kg category, alongside world champion Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary and Preeti Pawar.
India also has medal hopes in judo through Tulika Maan, in Lawn Bowls after its historic success at the 2022 Games, and in Para Athletics through world medallist Soman Rana.
India’s campaign begins at 2 pm IST on Thursday with the men’s singles and women’s pairs group stage matches in Lawn Bowls. The opening ceremony will be held at 10.30 pm IST.
Fans can watch the Commonwealth Games live on Sony Sports Network and Doordarshan Sports. The event will also be available on DD Free Dish, while live streaming will be available on Sony LIV.
After finishing fourth with 61 medals at the Birmingham Games in 2022, India will be looking to maximise its medal tally in the events featured in this year’s competition, with several established stars and emerging talents expected to play key roles in Glasgow.
