Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 9 August hosted India's Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists at a special felicitation in New Delhi, congratulating the athletes on their historic performances across boxing, judo, athletics, and para-athletics in Glasgow. The meeting underscored the government's push to elevate sporting culture at the national level.

India's Medal Haul in Glasgow

India finished fourth in the overall medal standings at the Commonwealth Games 2026, securing 39 medals — comprising 13 gold, 17 silver, and 9 bronze. Notably, this tally was achieved despite competing in a significantly reduced programme that excluded traditionally medal-rich disciplines such as wrestling, badminton, table tennis, hockey, and shooting.

Boxing Leads the Charge

India's boxing contingent delivered the standout performance of the Games, returning from Glasgow with 7 gold and 3 silver medals. The gold medallists were Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), and Ankush Panghal (80kg). The silver medallists were Jadumani Singh (55kg), Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), and Narender Berwal (90+kg). The 7 gold medals also marked the best-ever performance by Indian women boxers at the Commonwealth Games.

Boxer Sakshi Chaudhary, speaking after the meeting with the Prime Minister, said the interaction left the athletes elated. 'We, all the Commonwealth Games medallists, were invited by our honourable Prime Minister. We feel extremely proud, and it was a wonderful experience meeting him. He is very humble, and we were very happy to meet him,' she said.

Judo and Athletics Make History

The Indian judo contingent produced its best-ever Commonwealth Games performance, competing in 12 events and winning 4 medals — 2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze — compared to 3 medals with no gold at the 2022 edition. Khelo India athletes Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh created history by becoming the first Indian woman and first Indian man, respectively, to win Commonwealth Games gold in judo.

Athletics contributed 10 medals — 5 silver and 5 bronze. Gulveer Singh became the first Indian track and field athlete to win two individual medals at a single Commonwealth Games, claiming silver in the men's 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m.

Modi's Message to the Nation

Prime Minister Modi, in a post on Instagram, wrote: 'Those who play, will flourish. Always cheer for Bharat. Bharat Mata Ki Jai!' The remark was widely seen as a call to deepen grassroots sporting participation across the country. This comes amid a broader government focus on sports infrastructure and athlete development through schemes such as Khelo India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, the performances in Glasgow are expected to shape India's preparation strategy and athlete selection pipeline going forward.