India will begin its Commonwealth Games 2026 journey with Lawn Bowls game from Thursday, July 23, which helped the country win a gold and silver medal at the Birmingham edition of the Games in 2022. The nation hopes of maximum medals is in athletics, weightlifting and boxing this year as there are fewer participants.
Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra will be leading the Indian campaign with the men’s javelin throw in athletics. The star thrower will have his biggest difficulties with Pakistan’s Olympic icon Arshad Nadeem, who will set up one of the most intriguing pitch events of the Games. India will also have to aim for a medal from the long jump, the triple jump and the distance runners like Murali Sreeshankar and Gulveer Singh.
Mirabai Chanu is the favorite to win gold in the 48kg weight category in women’s weightlifting, which is new again this year. Bindyarani Devi and Gyaneshwari Yadav are also in contention to win medals.
India is looking at Olympic medalists Lovlina Borgohain, world champion Jaismine Lamboria, and talent like Sakshi Chaudhary and Preeti Pawar with a serious possibility of making the biggest mark on the boxing podium.
Other contenders for the medals for India are the judoka Tulika Maan and the Lawn Bowls team and the Para-athletes, Soman Rana.
Live on Sony Sports Network and Doordarshan Sports, with live streaming offered on Sony LIV, the Commonwealth Games 2026 will be broadcast on-screen.