India’s para contingent has been handed a clear medal target for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, with Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President Devendra Jhajharia saying the team can deliver a record-breaking return. Speaking on Monday at the send-off ceremony for the 28-strong squad, Jhajharia said India can win “at least 5-6 medals” in para sports at the Games, which begin on Thursday.
The projection matters because India’s para-sports programme at the Commonwealth Games has historically been limited in medal volume, and the 2026 edition is described as scaled down, with some events excluded. Despite that, Jhajharia expressed confidence that India will still produce its best-ever para-sports performance at the quadrennial multi-sport event.
“Our para sports athletes will showcase a record breaking performance in the Glasgow CWG. I am very sure about that. We can win at least 5-6 medals,” Jhajharia said at the ceremony.
Squad details and where India expects medals
India’s para contingent will compete across five disciplines at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The 28-member team includes 11 para athletes, seven para powerlifters, five para swimmers, one para track cyclist, and four players for women’s wheelchair basketball (3×3).
The contingent was scheduled to leave for the Scottish capital on Monday night, ahead of the start of competition on Thursday.
Jhajharia’s target comes with the expectation that a significant portion of India’s medals will come from para-athletics. The report notes that the majority of the medals are expected to be delivered in that discipline, underlining where India’s strongest medal prospects are seen for Glasgow.
At the same time, Jhajharia acknowledged that the Games programme has been reduced and that events such as para table tennis have been excluded. Even with those changes, he maintained that India can still reach the 5-6 medal mark and set a new national benchmark for para sports at the Commonwealth Games.
India’s Commonwealth Games para-sports medal history
Para sports were introduced to the Commonwealth Games in the 2002 edition in Manchester, and India has been part of that journey since its debut. Across the editions since 2002, India has won a total of eight para-sports medals at the Commonwealth Games: two gold, two silver and four bronze.
The Birmingham 2022 Games were described as India’s most productive Commonwealth Games for para sports. In that edition, Sudhir won gold in para powerlifting, while Bhavina Patel won gold in para table tennis. Sonalben Patel also added a bronze in para table tennis.
With Glasgow 2026 approaching, Jhajharia’s “at least 5-6 medals” target would represent a major single-edition haul relative to India’s overall Commonwealth Games para-sports medal count since 2002, and would be positioned as a record-breaking performance for the country at the event.
Send-off ceremony and support for the contingent
The send-off ceremony for the Indian para contingent was attended by key officials alongside Jhajharia. The event was also graced by Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam and Paralympic Committee of India Chairperson Payal Kanodia.
The report also noted that the Indian contingent is being supported by the M3M Foundation.
India’s broader para-sports movement has seen notable growth over the past two decades, with athletes delivering strong performances at the Paralympic Games, Asian Para Games, World Championships and other major international competitions. Against that backdrop, Glasgow 2026 becomes another major test of how that progress translates into Commonwealth Games results, particularly in a programme that has been described as scaled down.
