Is it time for India to look beyond Commonwealth Games?

Competitions are anyway stronger in the Asian Games and world events in most events dropped for 2026 CWG, say experts

Mumbai: There was considerable frustration within the Indian sporting community over the trimmed version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG). Of the nine sports axed for Glasgow to accommodate a more budget-friendly event, India had medalled in six — wrestling, table tennis, badminton, hockey, squash, cricket — from the 61-medal show in 2022 Birmingham.

PV Sindhu won the women’s singles gold at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Badminton is among the six sports where India usually excel that have been dropped from the 2026 Glasgow edition. (REUTERS)

But as the dust settles on the raw reactions and the reality of a CWG lite being the way forward becomes increasingly apparent for a sporting