CWG2O26: No Shooting, Archery, Wrestling at Commonwealth 

Shooting, Archery and Wrestling won’t be a part of Commonwealth Games 2026. The games will start in March 2026

 The opening ceremony will take place at the iconic 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced on Tuesday. The announcement follows an exclusive dialogue period between the CGF, Commonwealth Games Australia (CGAus) and Victoria.

The disciplines that the organizing committee has included in the initial list are aquatics, athletics, badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, T20 cricket, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, triathlon and weightlifting. However, the organizers have clarified that they will add a few more disciplines later this year.

Indian wrestlers had won 12 medals, including five golds, as the country’s shooters had clinched 16 medals, including seven golds. As for archery, which has featured in only two editions of CWG with the last being in 2010, India had won eight medals in New Delhi, including three golds.

National Rifle Association of India’s secretary-general, Kunwar Sultan Singh called the CGF’s decision as being without any “logic or reasoning”.

“It’s disheartening, shocking and utterly illogical to exclude shooting from the CWG for the second successive edition. It’s unfair on shooters preparing worldwide for such a major multi-sport event. I would request the Indian government and the IOA to take up the matter with the concerned authorities in the CGF to get the sport included in the Games programme for Victoria 2026,” Singh told TOI.

“A concerted effort is needed on the part of the government and IOA to get this decision reversed. United World Wrestling must do something to ensure that wrestling gets its deserved spot back in the CWG.” TOI quoted a Wrestling Federation of India official.

Shotgun shooter and Khel Ratna awardee Ronjan Sodhi said: “It is very unfortunate that the two sports where India has been dominant are being removed from the Commonwealth Games.”