Key Points:
India had a great run in this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, now Ahmedabad will be the next host in 2030.
India collected 39 medals, and finished fourth in the overall table even after most of the games weren't added in the competition.
As the Games wrapped up, the Commonwealth Games flag and baton were officially handed over to India, who will host the 2030 edition in Ahmedabad.
By Gopal Ram Tripathi
THE 23RD COMMONWEALTH GAMES came to a close in Glasgow on Sunday, August 2, 2026, and it turned out to be a memorable outing for India. The Indian contingent finished fourth in the overall medal table with 39 medals in total. As the curtains came down on 11 days of action at Scotland's largest city, the Commonwealth Games flag was formally handed over to India, the hosts of the next edition in Ahmedabad in 2030. It was a fitting way to end the Games, one chapter closing in Glasgow just as a new one begins in Gujarat.
India's final medal count read 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, adding up to 39 medals. This was achieved even though the Glasgow Games had a much smaller sporting programme than usual, most of the well-known Indian strongholds like wrestling, badminton, table tennis, hockey and shooting were all left out this time.
Boxing turned out to be India's star performer. The boxers delivered their best-ever Commonwealth Games show, topping the medal table in their sport with seven gold and three silver medals, the most golds any country has won in boxing at a single edition of the Games. Young fighters like Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, Sakshi Chaudhary and Arundhati Choudhary all struck gold, while Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain settled for silver in the 75kg category.
Weightlifting also gave India plenty to cheer about. Mirabai Chanu created history by completing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games titles, becoming only the second Indian weightlifter to win gold three times in a row.
Beyond the able-bodied events, India also had its most successful para-sports campaign ever at the Commonwealth Games. The para athletes won seven medals in total, three gold, two silver and two bronze, matching the country's combined para medal tally from every previous Commonwealth Games put together. Para athletics alone brought in six of those medals, ending a 20-year wait for an Indian podium finish in the sport. There were even three events where India managed a double podium, including the men's 100m T47 race and both the men's and women's shot put F57 events.
In all, 122 Indian athletes took part in eight able-bodied sports and five integrated para sports at these Games. Looking back at India's Commonwealth Games history, the country has now won 564 medals since it first took part in 1934, which remains the fourth-highest tally of any nation. Pistol shooter Jaspal Rana is still India's most decorated athlete at the Games, with 15 medals to his name.
While the medal tally told the story of India's sporting success, the closing ceremony at Glasgow's OVO Hydro arena told a different story, one of celebration and a new beginning. As the Games wrapped up, the Commonwealth Games flag and baton were officially handed over to India, who will host the 2030 edition in Ahmedabad. This will be the centenary Commonwealth Games, marking 100 years since the event began in Hamilton, Canada, back in 1930.
The handover ceremony was rich with Indian culture and music. Olympic and World champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, along with Indian Olympic Association president P. T. Usha and Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, took part in the symbolic exchange of the flag. The performance included a tribute built around the national song Vande Mataram, marking its 150th anniversary, along with music from Shankar Mahadevan and a blend of Indian and Scottish traditions performed together on stage. Boxing gold medallist Jaismine Lamboria was chosen as India's flag-bearer for the closing ceremony, a nice touch given how big a role boxing played in India's success at these Games.
Ahmedabad, situated on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Gujarat, was officially confirmed as the host city for 2030 back in November 2025, beating a rival bid from Abuja in Nigeria. The city will now have four years to get ready, and unlike the shortened 10-sport Glasgow programme, Ahmedabad is expected to host a much bigger range of sports. This will only be India's second time hosting the Games after New Delhi in 2010, and the city is even being talked about as a possible venue for the 2036 Olympics.
Glasgow 2026 may have had a smaller sporting programme than earlier editions, but it still gave India plenty to celebrate, from record-breaking performances in boxing to a landmark showing in para sports. With the flag now in Indian hands, all eyes will slowly start turning towards Ahmedabad, as the country begins its four-year build-up to host a Commonwealth Games unlike any other, one that celebrates a full century of the event's history.
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