Why is Badminton not part of Commonwealth Games 2026?

The CWG 2026 will begin on July 23.

Badminton fans eagerly awaiting the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow are in for disappointment. For the first time since 1966, badminton will not feature at the Games, ending a legacy that produced some of the most cherished sporting memories.

Organisers decided to remove several prominent sports, including badminton, hockey, wrestling, cricket, squash, and shooting. Only ten sports made the final cut, held across just four venues to reduce the overall budget.

The Games, relocated to Scotland after Victoria’s withdrawal as host, will feature nine fewer sports than the 2022 Birmingham edition.

Athletics and swimming were the only guaranteed sports, along with track cycling, weightlifting, 3×3 basketball, and lawn bowls. The move effectively brings the Games back to their original ten-sport format from before 1998.

A six-decade legacy cut short

For nearly six decades, badminton has been one of India’s most successful sports at the Commonwealth Games, from Dinesh Khanna’s first medal in 1966 to India’s six-medal haul in Birmingham 2022.

At Glasgow 2014, Parupalli Kashyap upgraded his Delhi bronze to gold in men’s singles, Gurusai Dutt and PV Sindhu both won bronze, while Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa added silver in women’s doubles.

Four years later at Gold Coast 2018, India produced their best-ever campaign. The mixed team won historic gold by defeating Malaysia.

Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu contested an all-India women’s singles final, with Saina winning gold, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty became the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win a CWG medal, taking silver.

India’s most recent campaign at Birmingham 2022 delivered six medals, including three golds, one silver, and two bronze. PV Sindhu beat Canada’s Michelle Li 21-15, 21-13 for singles gold, while Lakshya Sen fought back from a game down to win 19-21, 21-9, 21-16 in the men’s final.

Across all editions, Indian badminton players have won 25 medals, including seven golds, at the Commonwealth Games. The sport produced iconic moments, from the Nehwal-Sindhu rivalry to Satwik-Chirag’s emergence as a doubles powerhouse.

Impact on India

Badminton holds deep cultural value in several Commonwealth nations. Countries like Malaysia, India, and Singapore have strong badminton traditions, with the sport often a source of national pride and competitive success.

Indian officials have strongly criticised this decision. Chief National Coach Pullela Gopichand called himself “deeply appalled and disappointed,” stating the decision appears aimed at stunting the progress of nations like India, calling badminton a vital platform for India’s brightest talents.

Notably, India’s Birmingham 2022 haul came despite the absence of shooting, historically the country’s most productive sport, with wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, badminton, and table tennis carrying the load. Without badminton in 2026, India lose another reliable medal-generating discipline.

Beyond medals

The impact extends beyond the medal table. For federations like BAM (Malaysia) and BAI (India), government funding is often directly tied to medal performances at major multi-sport games, meaning high-performance budgets and development programs could face uncertainty without this platform.

The Games have also historically given badminton a massive global television audience every four years, capturing casual viewers who don’t typically follow the BWF World Tour. Losing that exposure is a real blow to the sport’s broader visibility.

India have expressed interest in hosting the excluded 2026 sports separately to protect its overall medal tally, mirroring a similar arrangement for archery and shooting at Birmingham 2022. For now, badminton fans will have to wait for the sport’s potential return in future editions.

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