[orc]India ended her campaign at the 2018 Commonwealth games with a total of 66 medals and 3rd position in the medal table. This is a marginal improvement from the previous edition of the Commonwealth games in Glasgow 2014 where India won 64 medals and stood 5th in the medal table.
The Commonwealth games (CWG) are conducted every four years with participation from most of the Commonwealth nations. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games. The CGF selects the host nation and also lays down rules for the conduct of the games. India hosted the games in 2010 when New Delhi was the host city.
What all sports are included in the CWG?
The organization of the CWG is bound by the constitution of the CGF. The Constitution lays down rules for maximum number of athletes, selection of sports etc. As per the latest version of the constitution & bye law 14, the sports program at the CWG must consist the following compulsory sports.
In addition to the compulsory sports, the host city may select from a given list of optional sports with the condition that the total number of team sports including from the compulsory sports shall not exceed 4. Usually a host city selects those sports where the host country is good at.
India’s performance at the CWG
India best performance in the last four editions of the CWG was in 2010 when New Delhi was the host city. India stood 2nd in the medal table in 2010 while it was 4th in the medal table in 2006 when the games were held in Melbourne. In 2014 when Glasgow was the host, India finished 5th in the medal table. In 2018 games held in Gold Coast, India finished 3rd behind Australia & England.
India won about 8% of all the medals on offer in 2018
In the 2018 games, India won a total of 66 medals (26 Gold, 20 Silver & 20 Bronze). This is about 8% of all the medals on offer in the 2018 edition. India won more than 100 medals only in the 2010 edition when she was the host country. In 2006, India won only 50 medals while it won 64 medals in 2014.
India’s performance was mixed in the last four editions of the CWG. In 2006, India won medals in only 7 of the 16 sports that were part of the competition. Wrestling, Archery, Tennis & Judo, where India was strong were not included in that edition. In 2010 when India was the host, she won medals in 12 of the 17 sports. Wrestling, Archery & Tennis were part of the games in 2010 that helped India bag the 2nd position in the medal table with more than 100 medals. In 2014 when Glasgow hosted the games, India again won medals in 12 of the 17 sports. Judo & Powerlifting were included in this edition while Archery & Tennis were excluded. In 2018 games, India won medals in 9 of the 18 sports that were part of the competition.
| Year | No of Sports | No of Sports Where India won Medals | Major Inclusions | Major Exclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 16 | 7 | Wrestling, Archery, Tennis, Judo | |
| 2010 | 17 | 12 | Wrestling, Archery, Tennis | |
| 2014 | 17 | 12 | Judo, Powerlifting | Archery, Tennis |
| 2018 | 18 | 9 | Archery, Tennis, Judo |
This is Part 1 of our special series on the Commonwealth Games. Part 2 looks at India’s performance in Individual sports in the last four editions of the CWG.
