Cricket, Hockey and Badminton Omitted from Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
Organisers have trimmed the sports programme for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and cricket will not feature on the schedule. The withdrawal of cricket, alongside hockey and badminton, is expected to dent India’s medal prospects after their strong performance at Birmingham 2022.
Glasgow will serve as host for the 2026 edition, but the range of sports has been reduced compared with previous Games. Among the most notable omissions are cricket, hockey and badminton, which together accounted for a number of medals for several nations at Birmingham 2022. Many of India’s medal-winning sports from Birmingham 2022 are no longer included. Organizers cited financial and logistical reasons for the sport reductions.
The decision to leave cricket off the programme removes a high-profile, team-based discipline that draws considerable followings across the Commonwealth. For nations with deep talent pools in cricket, the absence of the sport eliminates a clear avenue to add to their medal tallies. That loss is particularly significant given the attention and expectations that followed performances in Birmingham.
Hockey and badminton, also excluded from the Glasgow schedule, were among the events where India and other countries secured podium finishes in the previous Games. The omission of these sports narrows the field of traditional medal opportunities and alters the composition of events athletes had anticipated preparing for. National federations and teams that invested toward Birmingham-style events will confront a different competitive programme in 2026.
Organisers have pointed to budgetary and logistical constraints as the reasons for scaling back the list of sports. Those constraints have led to a pared-down Games that prioritises a smaller set of disciplines, though specific details about the selection process and the full list of retained events have not been provided in this report. The change reflects a re-evaluation of what Glasgow will stage when it hosts the Commonwealth Games.
The reduced sports programme tightens the pathway to medals for many participating countries, including India, by removing established events that previously delivered podium returns. As preparations continue for Glasgow 2026, the altered event list will shape how nations plan athlete participation and target their medal strategies.
