Commonwealth Games 2026: Why Glasgow CWG will go ahead with just 10 sports?

There will be six para sports conducted in Scotland Commonwealth Games 2026.

The Scotland Commonwealth Games 2026 have announced the sports programs including the list of para sports. There has been exclusion of several sports which were traditionally part of the games. The operational costs and time factor have been taken into consideration while selecting the sports. Over 11 key sports will not be part of the games in 2026.

Fans have been disappointed with the decision as it will result in many stars missing out on the action. While it not only reduces the number of athletes but also medal oppurtunities for many newcomers and veteran athletes. There will also be no athlete village present in the games as the venue selection has been made with travelling costs kept in consideration.

The outcome of the games will be much awaited as it will be historic due to the scaled down version as compared to its predecessors. Let us now take a look at the sports programs, venues in Glasgow and the factors behind selecting them.

What sports are included in Scotland Commonwealth Games 2026 ?

10 sports will feature in the Games, including six Para sports:

• 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball
• Artistic Gymnastics
• Athletics and Para Athletics
• Bowls and Para Bowls
• Boxing
• Netball
• Swimming and Para Swimming
• Cycling Track and Para Cycling Track
• Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting
• Judo

Why has there been a reduction of sports in the Games?

The Games will include 10 sports – striking a balance between ensuring the event has a multi-sport feel and the need to manage financial and operational risk.

For the majority of the history of the Commonwealth Games the event has been held with approximately 10 sports. Post-1998 the Games have been flexible ranging between 15-20. Flexibility in the future will be important for hosts.

How were sports selected in Scotland Commonwealth Games 2026?

A host nation recommends the sports programme to be included in the Games. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has two compulsory sports – Athletics and  Para Athletics and Swimming and Para Swimming.

The selection of sports beyond that is based on several considerations. CGF Regulation 6 outlines the factors and criteria they consider when approving a sports programme to be included in the Commonwealth Games.

• Universality of participation
• Quality of competition
• Benefit to Games hosts, including local appeal, cost and operational complexity
• Alignment with CGF values
• Creating a balanced programme
• Maintaining manageable total athlete numbers
• Fitting within a small number of existing venues, ideally with established operational plans for sport delivery
• Minimising risks and uncertainty of legislative/planning complications due to the time and budgetary constraints

A sport selection panel considered all factors before making a recommendation to the CGFs Sport Committee and Executive Board.

Also Read: Scotland Commonwealth Games 2026: What we know so far

Will this now be the sport programme for future editions of the Commonwealth Games?

No – the sport selection in 2026 will not influence the programme for future Games.

How were the four venues chosen?

Suitable venues were identifed for the two compulsory sports, which led to the selection of Scotstoun Stadium and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

Sites were chosen which would be most operationally viable and economically valuable to the Games concept, ideally with some able to host multiple sports at the same site. This provided significant budget savings through reduced hire, branding, security and transport costs.

Given the location and quality of facilities, the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and the Emirates Arena/Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome were selected as the optimal venues for hosting multiple sports.

Was Hampden Park (host of athletics at Glasgow 2014) considered this time round?

The amount of investment required in converting Hampden Park in 2014 was not a viable option.

Why were the additional venues no used this time to host sports?

Cost and operational risk were the main drivers. Every venue introduced brings added costs and complexity for venue hire, security, transport etc. To minimise those risks it was determined that it would be too costly to add additional venues.

Were venues outside Glasgow considered?

Introducing venues outside the one Local Authority brings added complexity and cost. Therefore it was most efficient to create a compact footprint within Glasgow.

Will sports be held in general public areas ?

Sporting events will not be held in public venues. The reason behind this decision is the significant savings in transport and security costs, and minimising of disruption for the general public by avoiding road closures.

Scotstoun Stadium and Campus is a multi-sport venue – could it host more than one sport?

Due to operational challenges with hosting Athletics at Scotstoun, it is not possible to host other sports at that venue within the period of competition.

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