India begin their Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow on Thursday with a 125-man squad looking to maximize their chances in a well-planned programme. The tournament, from July 23 to August 2, will consist of just 10 matches, forcing India to revise their expectations after Birmingham’s most successful campaign four years ago.The Indian Army has 77 men and 48 women competing in eight individual and five individual categories. Athletics forms the backbone of the campaign with 32 competitions, while boxing and judo have 14 athletes each, weightlifting 12 and swimming five. Tokyo Olympics silver medalist To Mirabai Chan will be India’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, with Tokyo bronze medalist and former world champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain serving as baton bearer.The total Indian delegation consists of 190 members – 125 athletes, 51 coaches and assistants and 14 new officials.Unlike Birmingham, where India fielded 210 athletes and won 61 medals, including 22 gold, Glasgow has a very different challenge. The program was cut from 19 sports in 2022 to 10, with medal-heavy sports such as badminton, wrestling, hockey, table tennis, cricket and squash. Those six Games saw India’s 30 medals in Birmingham, far short of the country’s traditional medal tally.Despite the mitigation program, India has a number of competitors for gold. Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returns to the CWG after missing Birmingham due to injury and will rematch Pakistan’s Olympic and Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem. The field is also home to Sri Lankan international captain Rumesh Pathirage. Chopra, the 2018 champion, remains India’s biggest sporting prospect.Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, a silver medalist in Birmingham, and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, who set a world record of 2.31 meters last month before finishing third at the Monaco Diamond League meet, are also bolstering India’s ambitions. Other important names include Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Parul Chaudhary, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Gulveer Singh.India’s weightlifting struggle will once again be led by Mirabai, who is chasing a fourth CWG medal and third gold in a row. The boxing team includes proven fighters like Lovlina, Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar and Jaismine Lamboria.The race spans generations, with 49-year-old grass-hopper Dinesh Kumar Singh the top runner and 16-year-old cyclist Lisha Das the runner-up. Competitions will be held at Scotstoun Stadium, Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow International Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.While Ahmedabad is slated to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, Glasgow offers India not only a shot at a medal but also a learning opportunity before hosting the Games at home.
