India’s Sports Ministry spent Rs 53.09 crore to prepare athletes for the scaled-down Glasgow Commonwealth Games, with athletics and boxing receiving the largest share of the outlay. With the event featuring a heavily pruned schedule, a major medal rush has been ruled out, but improved performances are expected from the disciplines that remain on the roster.
The quadrennial Commonwealth Games begin July 23 and will feature only 10 able-bodied sports and six para sports in a cost-saving, truncated programme. India’s preparations have been shaped by that reduced slate, with several of the country’s traditionally high-yielding sports not included in Glasgow.
Athletics leads spending as India targets stronger performances
Athletics has been the biggest recipient of the preparation budget, with more than Rs 20 crore spent on the 32-strong contingent that will compete in 21 events. The squad will be headlined by star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, among others, and the expenditure includes training in foreign facilities.
As part of the build-up, athletes undertook training-cum-competition at the Colorado Springs High Altitude Training Centre in the United States. The preparations also included stints in Switzerland, Turkey, and South Africa, reflecting a focus on overseas exposure and training environments ahead of the Games.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to head to Glasgow and will interact with participating athletes and officials during his stay. The trip also comes with a wider Commonwealth Games context for India: during the closing ceremony, India will take over from Glasgow as the next host of the Games in 2030.
The 2030 edition, set to be held in Ahmedabad, is expected to return to a full-scale programme with 17 disciplines on the roster. That contrast underlines why Glasgow’s reduced schedule has been framed as a different kind of challenge for India, with the focus shifting to maximising outcomes in the sports that are included.
Glasgow’s roster does not feature several sports that have historically delivered significant returns for India, including badminton, shooting, wrestling, cricket and hockey. As a result, expectations have been calibrated around doing better in the disciplines that are available rather than chasing a broad medal surge across a larger programme.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO N S Johal, who also heads the government’s Mission Olympic Cell, said: “We will do better than last time in disciplines that are there on the roster.”
Boxing and weightlifting also receive major support
Boxing has also received substantial backing, with the government spending more than Rs 10 crore on the 14-member contingent—seven men and seven women—to fund training and other requirements. The squad includes Olympic bronze-winner Lovlina Borgohain and is expected to be among India’s top-performing units at the Games.
Weightlifting preparations have been supported with Rs 7.5 crore for a 12-member group that includes Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu. The weightlifters have been based in Birmingham for better acclimatisation ahead of competition.
Mandaviya said the approach has been designed to reduce adaptation challenges close to the event. “We have ensured that all our medal prospects are based in Europe before the Games so that there is no problem in adapting to local conditions and time zones at the time of the Games,” he said.
Glasgow 2026 and the road to Ahmedabad 2030
With Glasgow operating on a smaller programme than recent editions, India’s preparation spending highlights where the government expects the best chances of strong performances—primarily in athletics, boxing and weightlifting. The emphasis on overseas training and European basing for medal prospects reflects a strategy built around readiness and acclimatisation rather than last-minute adjustments.
Beyond the immediate competition, Glasgow also marks a transition point for India as it prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. That edition is expected to expand back to a full-scale format with 17 disciplines, offering a broader platform than the trimmed Glasgow schedule. For now, India’s focus remains on delivering improved performances in the sports that are part of the Glasgow roster when the Games begin on July 23.
