India at the Commonwealth Games

India at the
Commonwealth Games
CG codeIND
CGAIndian Olympic Association
Websiteolympic.ind.in
Medals
Ranked 4th
Gold
215
Silver
207
Bronze
180
Total
602
Commonwealth Games appearances (overview)

India made its debut at the second Commonwealth Games in 1934. It has since competed in all except four editions of the Commonwealth Games. India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi, and will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.

After the 2026 Commonwealth Games, India had won 602 medals (215 gold, 207 silver, 180 bronze) and is ranked fourth at the All-time Commonwealth Games medal table.[1] The most successful event for India is shooting, in which it has won 135 medals including 63 gold medals.[2][3]

History

Pre-independence (1930s)

India debuted at the Commonwealth Games, then called the British Empire Games, back in 1934 as British India. The Indian contingent at the 1934 Games at London featured six athletes, who competed in 10 track and field events and one wrestling event.[4][5] India won a single bronze medal at its debut Commonwealth Games, with wrestler Rashid Anwar clinching the bronze medal in the men's 74 kg freestyle wrestling event.[6] India made its second appearance at the 1938 British Empire Games at Sydney, where it made its debut in the cycling events, and did not win any medals.[7]

Early years post-independence (1950s–1970s)

Milkha Singh was the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games

Post India's independence in 1947, the country did not compete in the next Commonwealth Games in 1950.[4] It competed as an independent nation for the first time in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Vancouver. It mainly took part in the athletics events, and did not win any medals.[8] In the 1958 Games at Cardiff, India fared better, winning two gold medals and a silver medal to finish eighth in the medal table.[9] Sprinter Milkha Singh became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching the top spot in the men's 440 yard event.[10][11] Heavyweight wrestler Lila Ram won the other gold medal for India in the men's 100kg freestyle category.[9][12] In the 1958 Games, track and field athletes Stephanie D'Souza and Elizabeth Davenport became the first Indian women to compete at the Commonwealth Games.[4][13][14] India did not take part in the 1962 Games in Perth.[4]

India returned to the competition at the 1966 Games at Kingston, Jamaica, in which it won ten medals including three gold medals. The country won seven of these medals in wrestling, including all three gold medals, and its first ever medal in badminton with Dinesh Khanna winning the silver medal.[15] Indian wrestlers continued to dominate the sport in the 1970s,[16] with all the country's gold medals in the 1970 (five) and 1974 (four) editions coming from the sport.[17][18] While Indian wrestlers continued to contribute significantly to the country's medal tally, winning a further seven medals across the 1974 and 1978 editions,[19] India won its gold medals in badminton and weightlifting at the 1978 Games in Edmonton.[20] Prakash Padukone won the men's singles event in badminton,[21] while Ekambaram Karunakaran won the gold medal in the men's flyweight in weightlifting.[22] Badminton players Ami Ghia and Kanwal Thakar Singh were the first Indian women to win a Commonwealth Games medal, winning the women's doubles bronze during the 1978 Games.[23][24][25]

Late 20th century (1980s–1990s)

India took part in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, winning 16 medals including five gold medals and its first ever medal in shooting.[26] However, India boycotted the 1986 edition held in Edinburgh, as a part of the wider boycott, to protest Britain's sporting links with apartheid South Africa.[27] India achieved its best performance till date at the Commonwealth Games in the 1990 edition in Auckland, winning 32 medals including 13 gold medals.[4] Indian weightlifters dominated the medal haul with 24 medals including 12 gold medals. Raghavan Chanderasekaran, Ponnuswamy Rangaswamy, and Paramjit Sharma won three gold medals each, and Parvesh Chander Sharma won two golds and a silver.[28]

In the 1994 edition in Victoria, British Columbia, India won 24 medals including six golds, with Jaspal Rana and Badathala Adisekhar winning two gold medals each.[29] Raghavan won three silver medals to add to his tally, to become the most decorated Indian male weightlifter at the Commonwealth Games.[30][31] In the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, India won 25 medals including seven gold medals, with 13 in weightlifting and seven in shooting.[32]

Early 21st century (2000s–2010s)

Jaspal Rana is the most decorated Indian athlete at the Commonwealth Games with 15 medals including nine golds

Since the 2000s, India consistently finished among the top five countries in the medals table.[33] In the 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester, India recorded its best ever finish till then, winning 69 medals including 30 gold medals, and was placed fourth in the overall medal table.[4] The India women's hockey team won the country's first gold medal in hockey. India won 23 medals including 13 gold medals in shooting, and 27 medals including 11 gold medals in weightlifting. In weightlifting, Kunjarani Devi, Sanamacha Chanu, and Shailaja Pujari won three gold medals each, while Pratima Kumari won two gold medals.[34] Jaspal Rana became the most decorated Indian athlete at the Commonwealth Games, with 15 medals including nine golds, of which six medals including four golds were won at the 2002 Games.[35][36][37] Shooter Anjali Bhagwat won four gold medals, and became the most decorated female Indian athlete at the Games.[38]

In the 2006 edition, India won 50 medals including 22 gold medals, of which 27 medals including 15 golds came in shooting.[39] Shooter Samresh Jung won seven medals including five gold medals in the 2006 edition, and took his overall tally at the Commonwealth Games to seven gold medals. Rana added another gold medal, and became the first Indian to win gold medals in four consecutive Commonwealth Games.[35]

In the 2010 edition hosted by India, the country sent its largest contingent of 619 athletes, and delivered its best ever performance, winning 101 medals including 38 gold medals, and finishing second in the overall medal table.[4][40] The Indian shooters played a crucial role during India's best showing at the Commonwealth Games, winning 30 medals including 14 golds, with Indian wrestlers winning 19 medals including 10 golds.[40][41] Shooter Gagan Narang won four gold medals to add to his four golds won in the 2002 edition.[42]

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, India fielded a 215-member contingent, and won 64 medals including 15 gold medals. Shooting, weightlifting, and wrestling were the most successful sports, earning 17, 14, and 13 medals respectively.[43] At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, India won 66 medals including 26 gold medals, and finished third in the overall medal table. Shooting again contributed the most number of medals to India's tally at the Games.[44] Table tennis player Manika Batra was the most successful Indian with four medals.[45][46]

Later years (2020s–present)

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, India finished fourth in the medal table with 60 medals including 21 gold medals. Wrestling contributed the most to India's medal tally with 12 medals including six golds.[47] Paddler Sharath Kamal won four medals including three gold medals to take his overall medal tally at the Commonwealth Games to 13 medals including seven golds.[35] Wrestler Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman to win gold medals at three successive Commonwealth Games.[48]

At the 2026 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, India finished fourth in the medal table with 39 medals (13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze).[49] India won the most medals in boxing, winning ten medals including seven golds, the most by any nation in the sport in a single Commonwealth Games.[50][51] Indian para athletes had their best performance at a single edition, winning seven medals including three gold medals.[52] Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian female athlete to win medals at four successive Commonwealth Games.[48] India had its best ever performance in judo with three medals, including its first ever gold medals won by Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh.[53][54] In athletics, Gulveer Singh became the first Indian track and field athlete to win two individual medals at a single Commonwealth Games,[55] and Tejaswin Shankar won India's first ever Commonwealth Games medal in decathlon.[56]

Host

Shera, the mascot of the 2010 Commonwealth Games held at Delhi

Delhi bid for hosting the 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games but lost to Auckland and Victoria respectively.[57][58] The host city of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was selected on 14 November 2003 during the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Delhi, India competed with Hamilton, Canada, for the rights to host the Games.[59] India's bid was under the motto New Frontiers and Friendships.[60] Delhi won the hosting rights over Hamilton with a 46-22 vote,[61] and hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games from 3 to 14 October 2010.[62][63]

India will host the Games again in 2030, at Ahmedabad.[64] The bid evaluation commission of Commonwealth Sport nominated Ahmedabad as its preferred candidate on 15 October 2025, pending a final vote to be held at its general assembly in Glasgow on 26 November, which was unanimously approved.[65][66]

Medal table

  Host country

Year Gold Silver Bronze Total Position
Canada 1930 HamiltonDid not participate
England 1934 London001112th
Australia 1938 Sydney0000–
New Zealand 1950 AucklandDid not participate
Canada 1954 Vancouver0000–
Wales 1958 Cardiff21038th
Australia 1962 PerthDid not participate
Jamaica 1966 Kingston343108th
Scotland 1970 Edinburgh534126th
New Zealand 1974 Christchurch483156th
Canada 1978 Edmonton555156th
Australia 1982 Brisbane583166th
Scotland 1986 EdinburghDid not participate
New Zealand 1990 Auckland13811325th
Canada 1994 Victoria6117246th
Malaysia 1998 Kuala Lumpur7108257th
England 2002 Manchester302217694th
Australia 2006 Melbourne221711504th
India 2010 New Delhi3827361012nd
Scotland 2014 Glasgow153019645th
Australia 2018 Gold Coast262020663rd
England 2022 Birmingham211623604th
Scotland 2026 Glasgow13179394th
India 2030 AhmedabadTBDTBD
Total 215 207 180 602 4th

Medals by sport

Medalists of the Badminton mixed team competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. From left: India (silver), Malaysia (gold), and England (bronze).
Medalists of the 10-metre air pistol pairs women at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. From left: Dina Aspandiyarova, Pamela McKenzie, Heena Sidhu, Annu Raj Singh, Dorothy Ludwig, and Lynda Hare.
Sport Rank Gold Silver Bronze Total
Shooting 2634428135
Wrestling 2493926114
Weightlifting[a] 2475737141
Boxing 618162054
Badminton 31081331
Athletics 139212252
Table tennis 21051328
Archery 23148
Judo 526715
Field hockey 21416
Squash 51225
Tennis 21124
Lawn bowls 111102
Para powerlifting[a] 60022
Gymnastics 120123
Cricket 30101
Swimming 170011
Overall4215207180602

Notes

  1. 1 2 India won a silver and a bronze medal in Powerlifting at the 2014 Commonwealth Games when it was contested as a part of Weightlifting. From the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Para powerlifting is contested as a separate sport.

References

  1. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: All-time medal table". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "CWG 2022: A Look Back at India's History at the Commonwealth Games". News18. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: India's medal tally record at Commonwealth Games (CWG)". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "India at Commonwealth Games: Quiet beginnings to rousing podium finishes". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "India London 1934". Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Who won the first-ever Commonwealth Games medal for India?". The Bridge. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  7. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1938". Indian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1954". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Commonwealth Games 1958". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 7 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: When Milkha Singh surprised the world to start a golden tradition for India". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "When Milkha Singh bagged India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal". The Bridge. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Wrestling legend Lila Ram passes away". Rediff. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  13. ↑ "Stephanie D'Souza". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Elizabeth Jane Davenport". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1966". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "Know How Many Indian Wrestlers Have Won Medals at Commonwealth Games So Far". Kreedon. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1970". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1974". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
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  24. ↑ Rita Nunes, Crystelle; Kulkarni, Abhijeet (14 May 2020). "Know your legend: Ami Ghia, a path-breaking and unsung hero of Indian badminton". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  25. ↑ Srivastava, Palash (3 July 2022). "Ami Ghia and Kanwal Thakar Singh — First Indian women to win Commonwealth Games medal". The Bridge. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1982". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 7 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  27. ↑ Oliver, Brian (22 July 2014). "The forgotten story of Robert Maxwell's 1986 Commonwealth Games". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017.
  28. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1990". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1994". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Raghavan Chandrasekaran". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  31. ↑ "India at Olympics: History of Weightlifting in the Games". Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  32. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 1998". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 20 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  33. ↑ "101 medals, 2nd on medals tally: Remembering 2010 Commonwealth Games". Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  34. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2002". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 7 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  35. 1 2 3 "India's most successful Commonwealth Games athlete - How Jaspal Rana built a lasting legacy". Olympics.com. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Meet India's most successful athlete at Commonwealth Games —Jaspal Rana". Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  37. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: India's most successful athletes at multi-sport events". Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  38. ↑ "Anjali Bhagwat". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2006". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  40. 1 2 "Commonwealth Games 2010". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 7 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  41. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2010: Shooters lead India's best-ever medal haul". Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  42. ↑ "Gagan Narang guns for glory". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  43. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2014". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 7 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  44. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2018: Gold rush at Gold Coast - India's full medal tally". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  45. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2018: Manika Batra leads India to historic women table tennis gold". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  46. ↑ "2018 Commonwealth Games: Manika Batra's change of tactics caught Singapore by surprise". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  47. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2022 medal tally: Indian winners - full list". Olympics.com. 8 August 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  48. 1 2 "CWG 2026: Mirabai Chanu clinches India's 1st gold with record-breaking lift". Business Standard. 26 July 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
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  51. ↑ "India tops medal table at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with seven gold and three silvers". World Boxing. 1 August 2026. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  52. ↑ "Seven medals, countless stories: India's para athletes come of age at CWG 2026". India Today. 3 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  53. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2026: Asmita Dey, Harsh Singh win historic judo golds for India, Yamini Mourya adds silver". ESPN. 1 August 2026. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  54. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: India strike double gold in judo as Asmita Dey, Harsh Singh make history". The Times of India. 31 July 2026. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  55. ↑ Kotian, Harish. "Historic Double! Gulveer First Indian To Win 2 Athletics Medals In Single CWG". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  56. ↑ "How Tejaswin Shankar scripted historic CWG Decathlon medal with an injured knee". The Indian Express. 2 August 2026. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
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  64. ↑ "Amdavad, India confirmed as host of the 2030 Centenary Games". Commonwealth Sport (Press release). 26 November 2025. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025.
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