Top five oldest Indian athletes participating at Commonwealth Games 2026

Dinesh Kumar Singh is India’s oldest-ever athlete to feature at the Commonwealth Games 2026.

For every athlete on this list, the saying “age is no barrier” proves true. Even at the fag end of their career, they continue to bring glory to their motherland, and most of them are strong contenders to complete a podium finish in their respective disciplines at the Commonwealth Games 2026.

Experience in global competitions, especially at the CWG, can be invaluable, as both the stakes and the pressure are extremely high. In 2022, lawn bowls player Sunil Bahadur became the oldest Indian to compete at the Games.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five oldest Indian athletes participating at the Glasgow CWG.

Oldest Indian athletes participating in Glasgow

5. Mirabai Chanu (31 years, 11 months, 15 days)

India’s undisputed greatest-ever weightlifter, Mirabai Chanu, might be competing in her final Commonwealth Games, but continues to be India’s frontrunner in the sport. The 31-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign in Birmingham four years back, successfully defending her gold medal.

As a two-time reigning champion, the Manipuri icon will be looking to complete a hat-trick, a feat nobody has previously accomplished in Women’s Weightlifting. Recently in February 2026, Chanu broke three national records in her 48kg category, lifting an exceptional total of 205kg.

4. Suyash Jadhav (32 years, 7 months, 25 days)

Suyash Jadhav’s story turns on a single terrible night when an electrocution accident on the eve of his cousin’s wedding cost him both hands after six months in hospital.

He got back in the pool two years later, and he eventually became the first Indian para swimmer to hit the ‘A’ qualifying mark for Rio 2016.

He was India’s only swimmer at that Games, and then earned a spot at Paris 2024 on the back of a bronze at the Asian Para Games.

3. Manpreet Kaur (36 years, 17 days)

Manpreet Kaur’s journey is full of inspiration. Her father died when she was thirteen, her mother was left paralysed soon after, and shot put came to Kaur almost by accident, through a cousin who was convinced she’d do better throwing than sprinting.

Kaur went on to break an 18-year-old national record, represented India at Rio 2016, and briefly held the world’s leading throw of the year back in 2017.

Coming into Glasgow 2026 with a Commonwealth Games qualifying mark under her belt, it remains to be seen if the 36-year-old can make her mark at the multi-sports programme.

2. Soman Rana (43 years, 6 months, 7 days)

There’s a version of Soman Rana’s story that starts in a minefield, not a stadium. He was a Havildar in the Indian Army when he lost his right leg in a blast back in December 2006, and it took over a decade and a posting at the Army Paralympic Node in Pune before shot put became the thing he was known for instead.

He’s now been to two Paralympics, finishing fourth at Tokyo and fifth in Paris, both times agonisingly close to a medal that’s kept sliding just out of reach.

At 43, most track-and-field careers have long wound down, but the F57 seated throws reward exactly the kind of strength and technique that takes decades to build, and Rana is currently ranked second in the world in his category. After two close finishes at the Olympics, Rana might finally be rewarded for his resilience at the 2026 CWG.

1. Dinesh Kumar Singh (49 years, 1 month, 7 days)

At 49, Dinesh Kumar Singh will be India’s oldest athlete in Commonwealth Games history. Competing in the men’s pairs lawn bowls events, Singh will be marking his fifth appearance at the event.

In 2022, he had brought home a silver medal in the fours event, featuring alongside Sunil Bahadur, Chandan Kumar Singh, and Navneet Singh.

Having already created history by being part of the male squad that won the first medal for India in lawn bowls, the 49-year-old will now be aiming to go one better by clinching the gold medal.

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