Five best performances of Indian contingent at Commonwealth Games

A look at the past performances suggests a gradual improvement in the overall medal tally of the country.

The 22nd edition of the prestigious Commonwealth Games (CWG) will take place in Birmingham, England. It is one of the most significant multi-sport events in the world that attracts all the top athletes in multiple disciplines from participating countries. The Indian contingent will be hopeful of securing as many medals as possible. The quadrennial event takes place from 28 July to 8 August 2022 when India will make its 18th appearance.

In the past, India has participated in all but three CWG editions. The country made its debut in the event back in 1934 and won a solitary bronze on debut. Since then, the athletes have brought the country forward by leaps and bounds. Since the turn of the century, Indian athletes have been delivering more than 50 medals consistently.

Overall, India has won 181 golds, 173 silvers and 149 bronze medals, taking their total tally to 503. When the 2022 edition starts, the athletes will hope to add a lot of medals to this tally. Their past performances also bring to light a gradual improvement. On that note, here are the five best performances of the Indian contingent at the Commonwealth Games:

2006 Melbourne  - 50 medals

The second edition of the Commonwealth Games in the 21st century saw a continued improvement by India over their past performances. For instance, Indian athletes won only 25 medals in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur games. During the 2006 Melbourne Games, India got their overall tally to an impressive 50 medals.

This was the second time India won 50 or more medals and would set a trend that continues even today. At these particular Commonwealth Games, India came fourth overall in the medals tally. The contingent won 22 golds, 17 silvers and 11 bronze medals, taking the total to 50 overall.

2014 Glasgow - 64 medals

India has won 60 or more medals four times at the Commonwealth Games. During the 2014 Glasgow games in Scotland, the country won 64 medals. Following up on the huge success at the 2010 games was going to be difficult, but the Indian contingent did a brilliant job nonetheless.

Vikas Gowda was one of the highlights of the tournament after he won the first gold medal in men’s athletics in 56 years at the CWG. Dipa Karmakar also made history by winning the first-ever female gymnast from India to win a medal in this sport at the international level. Thanks to 15 gold medals, India came fifth in the overall rank.

2018 Gold Coast - 66 medals

The 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games saw India collect 66 medals. Indian athletes will certainly hope to score more medals in the 2022 edition than in the previous one. Competing in Gold Coast, Australia, the contingent finished third in the overall medal tally behind Australia and England.

India won 26 golds, 20 silver and bronze medals each during the 2018 CWG edition. Across the five disciplines, India was the best nation across the board. These five disciplines were shooting (seven golds), wrestling (five golds), weightlifting (five golds), table tennis (three golds) and badminton (two golds). 

2002 Manchester - 69 medals

The 2002 edition of the Commonwealth Games took place in Manchester, England. It was a major turning point for the Indian contingent as they went on to win 69 medals. It was the best ever performance by India at the CWG until 2010. Since then, India has consistently won more than 50 medals in every CWG edition.

Back in 2002, the Indian contingent won 30 golds, 22 silvers and 17 bronze medals. This tally took them to fourth place in the medal table. Abhinav Bindra, Jaspal Rana, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and the women’s hockey team were some of the key figures that won gold for India.

2010 New Delhi - 101 medals

India was the host nation during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The multi-sport event took place in the capital city of New Delhi amidst huge anticipation. It remains India’s best-ever performance at the CWG to date.

A total of 495 athletes were representing India, which is a record in itself for the country. Indian contingent finished second in the medals tally behind Australia. Playing in front of the home crowd, Indian athletes won 38 golds, 27 silvers and 36 bronze medals, taking their total tally to 101. This is the only time when India more than a century of medals at any CWG edition.

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