Why Badminton Is Missing From the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will begin on Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland. The opening ceremony takes place at the OVO Hydro venue. Indian athletes will start competing on the very first day, even before the official opening ceremony, with early rounds of lawn bowls.

However, as the Games move forward, sports fans across the world will notice something very surprising. Some of the world’s biggest sports stars—especially top badminton players—will not be competing. The reason is simple but shocking: badminton, along with several other popular sports, has been removed from the 2026 Commonwealth Games entirely.

In the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, athletes competed in 19 different sports. But for the 2026 Games in Glasgow, the total number of sports has been reduced to just 10. This dramatic cut has removed six major sports where countries like India previously won many medals. In fact, these dropped sports made up nearly half of India’s overall medal count in 2022.

The Host Search and Rising Costs

Why were so many sports dropped? The main reason comes down to financial troubles and a very difficult journey to find a host city.

The trouble started years ago. South Africa’s city of Durban was originally chosen to host the 2022 Games. When Durban was stripped of its hosting rights due to money problems, Birmingham stepped up early to host the 2022 event instead.

This left the 2026 edition open. On April 12, 2022, the state of Victoria in Australia was named the new host for the 2026 Games. However, just one year later, Victoria surprisingly canceled its plans. The local government stated that the projected cost of hosting the Games was rising far too high and becoming impossible to afford.

With time running out, the Commonwealth Games needed a rescuer. Glasgow finally stepped in and was officially announced as the host city on September 17, 2024.

Because Glasgow had less than two years to prepare for a multi-sport event, organizers had to make big changes. To make sure the Games could still take place smoothly and safely without running out of money, organizers decided to cut the sports lineup by nearly half.

How Was the Final List Chosen?

To keep costs low, Glasgow is hosting all events across just four venues. These four locations were chosen because they save significant money on stadium rentals, athlete transportation, and security measures.

Badminton Scotland and other international organizations made strong appeals to include badminton on the 2026 schedule. They pointed out that badminton has been a part of every Commonwealth Games since 1966. It has a deep history, millions of fans, and strong competitive quality.

When deciding which sports to keep, event planners looked at several key factors:

Universality: How many countries participate worldwide.
Quality of Competition: The skill level of competing athletes.
Commercial Appeal: Ticket sales, TV viewings, and fan interest.
Cost and Operational Risk: The money required for venues, equipment, and logistics.
Alignment with Commonwealth Values: Creating a balanced, inclusive sports schedule.

Even though badminton supporters argued that the sport met all these points, organizers ultimately chose not to include it due to venue constraints and budget limits.

What Sports Are Left for 2026?

The 10 sports featured at the Glasgow 2026 Games are:

Athletics
Swimming
Track Cycling
Weightlifting
3×3 Basketball
Lawn Bowls
Netball
Artistic Gymnastics
Judo
Boxing

Six of these disciplines (athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, lawn bowls, and basketball) will also run integrated para-sports competitions alongside the main events.

Major sports like badminton, wrestling, table tennis, hockey, squash, and cricket have all been left out. India, which finished fourth in 2022 with 61 medals, lost 30 of its medal opportunities due to these dropped sports alone.

Hope for the Future

The exclusion of badminton is a big disappointment for athletes, coaches, and millions of fans. However, sport officials have assured the public that badminton remains a core part of the Commonwealth family. The decision for 2026 was made strictly due to financial and short-term operational challenges in Glasgow.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) and national badminton bodies have received assurances that this temporary removal will not affect future events. Organizers expect badminton to return when the Commonwealth Games take place again in 2030.

Badminton Champions of the Last Commonwealth Games (Birmingham 2022)

Since there is no badminton event in 2026, the champions from the Birmingham 2022 Games will hold their titles longer than usual. Here is a look back at the gold medalists from the 2022 Commonwealth Games: