India has historically excelled at the Commonwealth Games, winning a cumulative 564 medals including 203 gold, 190 silver, and 171 bronze. Notably, Indian wrestlers have always made the nation proud.
The evidence is clear: Indian wrestlers alone have secured a total of 114 medals, comprising 49 gold, 39 silver, and 26 bronze, showcasing wrestling as a major contributor to India's medal tally.
However, this time wrestling and hockey are excluded from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Is there still hope? Inquiring minds at aajtak.in reached out to the President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Sanjay Singh, on Saturday, November 1. Although the occasion was a press conference for the Pro Wrestling League 2026, wrestling-related questions were at the forefront.
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Source: aajtak
When asked if there is any chance for wrestling's return to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Sanjay Singh stated that WFI had indeed made a request and spoken with the Commonwealth Games chairman. Unfortunately, the host country, Glasgow (Scotland), has dismissed wrestling and hockey. Thus, WFI has no further role in this decision.
An additional query was whether future discussions about including wrestling are possible. To this, Singh remained hopeful, alluding to the 2030 Commonwealth Games as a potential milestone for wrestling's resurgence.
On a hopeful note, the 2030 Commonwealth Games could be hosted by India. Recently, Ahmedabad was recommended for hosting by the Commonwealth Sports executive board.
For the Glasgow 2026 Games, ten sports disciplines are confirmed: athletics (track and field), swimming, 3x3 basketball, track cycling, weightlifting, lawn bowls, artistic gymnastics, netball, boxing, and judo. Additionally, para versions of the top five sports will be integrated into the para program. In contrast, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games featured 20 sports, highlighting a more concise list for 2026.
