# India’s CWG Lowest Medal Haul in 24 Years Is Also One of Its Best

URL: https://technosports.co.in/indias-cwg-lowest-medal-haul-cwg/  
Published: 2026-08-03  
Updated: 2026-08-03  
Author: Reetam Bodhak

Numbers can lie without context. India’s Commonwealth Games 2026 tally is proof of exactly that. At face value, [India’s 39 medals in Glasgow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Commonwealth_Games) are the country’s smallest haul since the 2002 Manchester Games — a 24-year low. Yet dig into how those medals were won, and it becomes one of India’s most efficient campaigns in Commonwealth Games history.

## India’s CWG Medal Count Over the Years

| Edition | Total Medals |
| --- | --- |
| 2002 Manchester | 69 |
| 2010 New Delhi | 101 |
| 2014 Glasgow | 64 |
| 2018 Gold Coast | 66 |
| 2022 Birmingham | 61 |
| **2026 Glasgow** | **39** |

## Why the Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

The drop isn’t a story of declining form — it’s a story of a shrinking programme. Glasgow 2026 excluded shooting, wrestling, archery, badminton, table tennis, and hockey, sports that alone accounted for roughly a third of India’s medal count in previous editions. Shooting has historically been India’s single richest medal source at the CWG, and its absence this time removed a significant chunk of the country’s usual tally before a single event even began.

![CWG](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/cxocmcmc.avif)

Despite that, India still finished **fourth overall** with 13 gold, 17 silver, and 9 bronze — and the medals that did come were often historic firsts rather than routine podiums. Boxing alone delivered a record 10 medals, including seven golds, the most by any nation in the sport at a single Games. India’s para-athletics contingent also ended a 20-year wait for a CWG podium, matching the country’s combined para medal tally from every previous edition in this one campaign.

## Quality Over Quantity

That’s really the headline: fewer opportunities, sharper results. With traditional strongholds absent from the programme, India’s medals came from a narrower base of sports performing at a genuinely higher level — a trend worth watching heading into future editions. For deeper dives into India’s CWG 2026 story, explore more coverage on [TechnoSports](https://technosports.co.in).

## FAQs

### **Q: Why is India’s 2026 medal tally the lowest in 24 years despite a strong campaign?**

 A: Glasgow 2026 dropped shooting, wrestling, archery, badminton, table tennis, and hockey — sports that historically supplied a large share of India’s medals.

### **Q: How does India’s 39-medal haul compare in quality to past editions?**

 A: It includes a record 10 boxing medals (7 golds) and India’s best-ever para-athletics campaign, showing strength despite fewer events overall.