The curtain came down on the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on August 2, and for Indian sport the night carried a double meaning. Team India signed off fourth in the medal standings with 39 medals — and minutes later, the Commonwealth Games flag and Host Baton passed into Indian hands. Ahmedabad will stage the centenary edition in 2030.
A Glittering Farewell to Glasgow
The XXIII Commonwealth Games ran from July 23 to August 2, bringing together athletes from 74 nations and territories across 10 sports and 215 gold-medal events. The closing ceremony at the Hydro blended Scottish spectacle with an Indian cultural showcase, and boxer Jaismine Lamboria — a gold medallist in Glasgow — carried the Tricolour during the athletes’ parade.
India Finish Fourth With 39 Medals
India ended the campaign with 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze for a total of 39, placing fourth behind Australia, England and Canada. It was India’s 19th appearance at the Games, with a 122-strong contingent competing across ten sports. Indian women contributed eight of the 13 golds, a striking marker of where the country’s depth now lies.
Boxing Lands India’s Biggest Punch
Boxing was the single largest contributor to the tally, delivering 10 medals including seven golds — the most any nation has won in the sport at a single Commonwealth Games. The ring in Glasgow effectively became India’s medal factory, with the boxers converting finals at a rate no other discipline could match.
Mirabai Chanu and Gulveer Singh Headline the Standout Stories
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu claimed her third Commonwealth Games gold, becoming only the second Indian to win three successive titles at the Games. On the track, Gulveer Singh took silver and bronze to become the first Indian track and field athlete with two individual medals at a single edition. Judo produced India’s best-ever Games return in the sport — three medals, including its first two golds.
More Medals From a Smaller Programme
Glasgow 2026 was a deliberately slimmed-down edition, and several traditional Indian strongholds — shooting, badminton, wrestling, hockey and table tennis — were left off the roster. Even so, India improved from 30 medals in comparable disciplines at Birmingham 2022 to 39 in Glasgow. The takeaway is encouraging: the gains came in sports where India has historically been a challenger rather than a favourite.
Australia Rule the Table Once Again
Australia dominated the standings with 70 golds and 171 medals overall, more than the combined gold haul of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England finished second with 29 golds and 110 medals, Canada third with 62, and hosts Scotland fifth. South Africa’s Chad le Clos became the most decorated athlete in Games history with his 21st medal, while 76-year-old Louise Hoskins became the oldest gold medallist after winning para-bowls pairs.
Ahmedabad Commonwealth Games 2030: The Centenary Games Come Home
The handover was the emotional peak of the evening. The flag travelled through a chain of presenters before reaching Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha, who passed it to Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. Ahmedabad’s bid had received unanimous backing from all 74 member nations at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in November 2025.
The 2030 Games will mark 100 years since the inaugural edition in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. It will also be India’s second time hosting after New Delhi 2010, making the country only the second after Australia to stage the event more than once. With the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium anchoring its sporting infrastructure, Ahmedabad is positioning itself as India’s flagship host city — and the 2030 Games as a rehearsal for the country’s declared ambition to bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics.
What Comes Next
Exact dates and the final sports programme for Ahmedabad 2030 are yet to be confirmed. Indian officials have consistently pushed for the reinstatement of disciplines dropped from Glasgow, which would significantly widen the home medal window. For now, the King’s Baton Relay begins its journey — and for the first time, each of the 74 Commonwealth nations will receive its own customised baton.
Four years out, the countdown has already begun.
