Commonwealth Games 2026: Why Cricket, Hockey and Other Major Sports Are Missing from Glasgow

July 22, 2026: The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026, marking the city's return as host 12 years after successfully staging the 2014 Games.

Glasgow stepped in after the original host, Victoria in Australia, withdrew from the event because of rising costs. To ensure the Games could still go ahead, organisers adopted a more sustainable and cost-effective model. As a result, the 2026 edition will feature only 10 sports, with competitions taking place across four venues located within an eight-mile radius.

The streamlined approach has significantly reduced the size of the Games, leading to the exclusion of several popular sports that have traditionally been part of the Commonwealth Games programme. Disciplines such as cricket, hockey, wrestling, shooting, squash and table tennis have all been dropped, despite their rich history and India's strong performances in them.

Major Sports Missing from Glasgow 2026

Cricket

Cricket first appeared at the Commonwealth Games during the 1998 Kuala Lumpur edition, where the men's One-Day International tournament featured 16 teams. South Africa, led by Shaun Pollock, defeated Australia in the final to win the gold medal, while New Zealand claimed bronze.

The sport returned after a gap of 24 years at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, this time as a women's T20 tournament featuring eight teams. Australia, captained by Meg Lanning, won the gold medal after defeating India in the final, while New Zealand secured the bronze.

However, cricket will not be part of the Glasgow 2026 programme. The decision was taken mainly because of budget constraints following Victoria's withdrawal as host.

In 2024, Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir explained that Glasgow 2026 would serve as "a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow", focusing on a flexible, collaborative and financially sustainable model that reduces costs and environmental impact while making it easier for more nations to host future editions.

Despite its absence from the Commonwealth Games, cricket will return to the Olympic stage at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where both men's and women's T20 competitions will be held. It will mark cricket's first Olympic appearance in 128 years.

Shooting

Shooting made its Commonwealth Games debut in 1966 and, although classified as an optional sport, was included in every edition from 1974 to 2018. It was removed from the Birmingham 2022 programme because of logistical reasons, and it remains absent from Glasgow 2026.

For India, shooting has been the country's most successful Commonwealth Games discipline. Indian shooters have won 135 medals, including 63 gold, 44 silver and 28 bronze, making its exclusion a major setback for the nation's medal prospects.

Table Tennis

Table tennis was introduced at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and featured in every edition until Birmingham 2022. India has enjoyed remarkable success in the sport, winning 27 medals—including 10 gold, five silver and 12 bronze. The 2018 Gold Coast Games proved to be India's best campaign, with the paddlers securing eight medals, including three gold medals.

Despite its growing popularity and India's consistent performances, table tennis is not part of the Glasgow programme.

The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be missing several of India's biggest medal-winning sports, including badminton, wrestling and hockey. Here's why these events have been dropped from the Glasgow edition and what it means for India's medal prospects.

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Wrestling

Wrestling has a long association with the Commonwealth Games, having been included in the inaugural edition in 1930. It was omitted only on a few occasions—in 1990, 1998 and 2006—before returning in subsequent editions.

India has been one of the dominant nations in Commonwealth Games wrestling, winning more than 100 medals over the years. At Birmingham 2022, Indian wrestlers delivered another outstanding performance, claiming six gold, one silver and five bronze medals.

Even with its rich legacy and India's success, wrestling has been left out of the Glasgow 2026 programme.

Field Hockey

Hockey became part of the Commonwealth Games in 1998 at Kuala Lumpur and has featured in every edition since. Glasgow 2026 will be the first time in 28 years that the sport will not be included. India has enjoyed memorable moments in Commonwealth Games hockey. The women's team won a historic gold medal in Manchester in 2002 and later added a silver in 2006 and a bronze in 2022. The Indian men's team has also been among the top contenders, finishing with silver medals in 2010, 2014 and 2022.

The absence of hockey removes one of the Games' most followed team sports and reduces another major medal opportunity for India.

Squash

Squash made its Commonwealth Games debut in 1998 and remained on the programme for the next six editions. India has won five Commonwealth Games medals in squash, including one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. The country's most memorable achievement came at the 2014 Glasgow Games, where Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal won the women's doubles gold. At the 2018 Gold Coast Games, Dipika Pallikal secured two silver medals—one in the women's doubles with Joshna Chinappa and another in the mixed doubles alongside Saurav Ghosal.

The 2022 Birmingham Games also produced notable moments. Anahat Singh became the youngest Indian athlete to compete at the Commonwealth Games at just 14 years of age, while Saurav Ghosal won bronze medals in the men's singles and mixed doubles, partnering Dipika Pallikal.

A Smaller but Sustainable Commonwealth Games

Glasgow 2026 will feature only 10 sports: athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, 3x3 basketball, lawn bowls, netball, artistic gymnastics, judo and boxing.

The exclusion of nine sports—including cricket, shooting, hockey, wrestling, squash, table tennis, badminton, rugby sevens, beach volleyball and triathlon—marks one of the biggest programme changes in Commonwealth Games history.

While the reduced schedule is expected to affect medal opportunities for several countries, particularly India, organisers believe the leaner format will create a financially sustainable model that can secure the long-term future of the Commonwealth Games.