Glasgow, India will bank on its boxing, weightlifting and athletics contingents to preserve a two-decade-long run of top-five finishes at the Commonwealth Games, while organisers face the daunting task of proving that a scaled-down edition can still capture the essence of the multi-sport spectacle when the event opens here on Thursday.
The opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro will formally launch what is set to be the leanest Commonwealth Games in more than three decades, with around 3,000 athletes from across the Commonwealth’s 74 nations competing in just 10 sports spread across four venues.
Six of those sports will simultaneously host para events, reinforcing the organisers’ vision of an inclusive Games.
After the Australian state of Victoria pulled out as host in 2023 because of spiralling costs, throwing the future of the Commonwealth itself into uncertainty, Glasgow stepped in to rescue the Games.
Having successfully staged the 2014 edition, the Scottish city has once again opened its doors, this time delivering the event on a budget of around 160 million pounds, nearly 60 per cent lower than Birmingham 2022, by relying entirely on existing venues and infrastructure.
While Glasgow’s challenge has been to prove that the Games can survive in a leaner avatar, India’s task has been made difficult by the pruned schedule.
The country has finished inside the top five of the medals table at every Commonwealth Games since Manchester 2002, establishing itself as one of the event’s strongest performers despite not being a traditional sporting powerhouse across disciplines at the world level.
Replicating that feat, however, will not be easy this time.
The absence of wrestling, badminton, table tennis and shooting has significantly altered India’s medal prospects.
Those four disciplines alone accounted for 25 of the 61 medals India won in Birmingham four years ago, making this perhaps the country’s toughest Commonwealth campaign in recent memory.
The responsibility of filling that void will largely rest on athletics, boxing and weightlifting.
India has fielded the maximum permitted 32-member athletics squad, the largest contingent among all disciplines, to compete in 22 medal events.
Leading the charge is two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, who enters a major championship in the unfamiliar role of challenger rather than overwhelming favourite.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga has emerged as the form athlete in the men’s javelin throw event after his stunning 92.62m throw earned him victory at the Rome Diamond League last month.
Pakistan’s reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is also in the fray though Chopra remains a strong medal contender.
Beyond Chopra, India will expect medals from high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, triple jumper Praveen Chithravel and both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams.
The athletics contingent won eight medals in Birmingham, but matching that tally could prove difficult against a stronger field.
Weightlifting, traditionally one of India’s richest medal sources at the Commonwealth Games, will once again revolve around Olympic silver-medallist Mirabai Chanu.
The 31-year-old Manipuri is chasing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals and remains one of India’s most reliable performers on the international stage.
The weightlifting squad, however, has been trimmed to just 11 members after several national campers returned positive dope tests recently, reducing India’s medal opportunities in a discipline that has consistently delivered at the Games.
In boxing, all eyes will be on Tokyo Olympic bronze-medallist Lovlina Borgohain , who will be chasing the only major medal missing from her glittering collection.
Reigning 57kg world champion Jaismine Lamboria will be eager to upgrade the bronze she claimed in Birmingham, while Asian champion Preeti Pawar , Sakshi Chaudhary and Arundhati Choudhary are also among India’s strongest medal hopes in the women’s competition.
The men’s challenge will be spearheaded by seasoned heavyweight Narender Berwal and World Cup-medallist Sachin Siwach , both expected to contend for podium finishes.
Elsewhere, India will hope its lawn bowls teams can recreate the magic of Birmingham, where the women scripted history with a gold medal and the men won a silver.
The judokas, who contributed three medals in the previous edition, will be looking to equal or improve on that performance despite stronger competition.
India’s para athletes are also expected to make a substantial contribution, with para events now integrated into six sports at the Games.
Although the reduced sports programme means India is unlikely to match its 61-medal haul from Birmingham, a place among the top five nations would underline the country’s depth across Olympic sports.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
