Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 10 August met India's Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists at his official residence, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi, lauding their performances in Glasgow as a catalyst for building a lasting sporting culture across the country. Para-athletes received special recognition during the interaction.

Modi's Message to the Athletes

Addressing the contingent, Modi said the medallists' achievements transcended the medal tally itself. 'I do not consider this achievement to be yours alone. Your victory becomes a great source of inspiration for the generations to come,' he told the athletes.

'You have not just increased the number of medals. You have prepared an entire generation,' he added. He also drew a pointed contrast between conventional outreach and the power of sporting success: 'The work that perhaps we could have done by going to schools and speaking to children, your medals inspire them much more.'

A Special Moment with Mirabai Chanu

Modi was visibly moved during his exchange with gold medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who became emotional recounting her struggles and the moment the Indian flag was raised on the podium. Responding to her, Modi said: 'So many tears were rolling down. I feel as though every drop of those tears is like a gold medal falling.'

India's Glasgow Scorecard

India finished fourth in the overall medal table at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, claiming 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver, and 9 bronze. The performance is particularly notable given that several traditional medal-producing disciplines — including wrestling, badminton, table tennis, hockey, and shooting — were absent from the programme.

Boxing was India's standout discipline, yielding 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). Silver medals went to Jadumani Singh (55kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), and Narender Berwal (90kg-plus). India's seven boxing golds also marked the best-ever performance by Indian women boxers at the Commonwealth Games.

In judo, India recorded its best-ever Commonwealth Games showing — 4 medals across 12 events, including 2 gold. Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh, both products of the Khelo India programme, became the first Indian woman and man respectively to win Commonwealth Games gold in judo.

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

Khelo India's Role and the Road Ahead

Modi highlighted the role of government sporting initiatives, particularly Khelo India, in nurturing the athletes who excelled in Glasgow. He credited the contingent's consistency over the past decade as the foundation for India's growing stature in global sport.

'I have met many players, but I have met you because of your efforts over the last 10-12 years, because of your efforts to bring continuous victories for India and because of the tradition you have created of taking the country to new heights in sport,' the Prime Minister said.

With the next major multi-sport events on the horizon, the Glasgow contingent's performance — achieved under a restricted programme — sets a strong benchmark for India's sporting ambitions.