Badminton will be missing from the Commonwealth Games 2026 program in Glasgow, but the sport’s place in India’s Commonwealth Games history is hard to overstate. Across every edition where badminton has featured, India has won 31 medals in the sport, made up of 10 gold, 8 silver, and 13 bronze.
The Birmingham 2022 Haul
India’s most recent Commonwealth Games badminton campaign, at Birmingham 2022, was also one of its strongest, producing six medals in a single edition. PV Sindhu won gold in women’s singles, Lakshya Sen won gold in men’s singles, and the pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty claimed gold in men’s doubles, a historic first for an Indian men’s doubles team at the Games. The remaining medals from that campaign added further silver and bronze to India’s overall count.
Building Blocks of the Record
India’s badminton medal tally has been built steadily across editions, starting with Prakash Padukone’s pioneering gold and continuing through the Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu era, when the two met in an all-India women’s singles final, with Saina claiming the gold. The Satwik-Chirag doubles pairing added another layer to this success, winning silver at Gold Coast 2018 before their Birmingham 2022 gold.
Why the Number Matters
A total of 31 medals places badminton among the more prolific individual sports in India’s Commonwealth Games history relative to the number of medal events on offer, reflecting just how competitive Indian shuttlers have consistently been on the world stage.
A Pause, Not an End
With badminton excluded from the streamlined Glasgow 2026 programme, India’s medal count in the sport will not grow at this year’s Games. However, the sport’s organisers and fans continue to hope for its return at future editions, given its strong track record of producing entertaining, high-quality competition.
Looking Forward
In the meantime, Indian shuttlers are keeping their competitive edge sharp on the BWF World Tour, with the World Championships in New Delhi this August offering the next big opportunity to add to India’s badminton trophy cabinet, even if not under the Commonwealth Games banner this time.
Related Reading
– Indian Badminton Medal Winners at the Commonwealth Games: A Look Back
– India’s Greatest Commonwealth Games Badminton Players
– Indian Badminton Players’ 2026 Tournament Schedule and Key Events