Kirsty Gilmour, a silver medalist from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, expressed her disappointment about the absence of badminton and other racquet sports from the upcoming 2026 Games in Glasgow. In an interview with BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland, she described the announcement as “painful,” especially since she views it as a missed opportunity at a home event. “It’s a fairly significant blow,” Gilmour stated. “I’m disappointed for myself as it’s a medal chance and a home games, but I’m more disappointed for the younger players. For them, at ages 18, 19, or 20, this would be a major milestone.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will feature a more streamlined schedule with only 10 sports, including mandatory athletics and swimming, as well as track cycling, boxing, and gymnastics. This decision came after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew from hosting due to rising costs, leading Glasgow to step in. The Games will take place from July 23 to August 2, 2026, across four venues, and are expected to attract about 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories. Notably, the event will include “fully integrated para-competitions” in six of the selected sports.
In response to the disappointment among fans and athletes, organizers acknowledged the challenge of selection, emphasizing that this competition won’t impact the inclusion of sports in future Games. Scottish Hockey’s CEO Derek Keir voiced the organization’s “deeply disappointed” stance, lamenting that hockey has been a consistent presence since 1988.
Ian Reid, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, mentioned the complexities involved in deciding which sports to feature. He explained that considerations included managing costs and the logistics of accommodating a larger number of athletes that hockey would have required. On the positive side, Katie Sadleir, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, highlighted that the event will be a “truly immersive festival of sport and celebration of culture and diversity.”
The sports selection process also took into account factors such as the “universality of participation and quality of competition.” Unlike the previous Glasgow Games, which hosted 17 sports, the upcoming event will only include athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and 3×3 basketball. Notably absent are disciplines like mountain biking and road races from cycling, as well as diving and rugby sevens.
As preparations continue, the event promises an opening and closing ceremony and will include some form of King’s baton relay leading up to the Games, establishing Glasgow as a vibrant host city for the upcoming festivities.
