The 2026 Commonwealth Games will get underway on Thursday in Glasgow, where India has sent a 126-member contingent featuring Olympic stars Neeraj Chopra and Mirabai Chanu among its leading medal hopes.
This will be India’s 19th appearance at the Commonwealth Games. Since 2002, India have consistently finished inside the top five in the medal table, winning at least 50 medals in each of the last six editions.
The spotlight on Day 1 will firmly be on the Opening Ceremony, where Olympic medallists Mirabai and Lovlina Borgohain will lead the Indian contingent. Mirabai will carry the Tricolour during the athletes’ parade, while Lovlina will carry the ceremonial King’s Baton.
On the sporting front, three Indian athletes will be in action as lawn bowls gets India’s campaign underway in Glasgow.
CWG 2026 Day 1: Full India schedule
India’s campaign begins on Thursday evening with Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki taking on Malta’s Connie and Rebecca Rixon in the women’s pairs sectional play. The Indian duo were part of the historic women’s fours team that won India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in lawn bowls at Birmingham 2022.
Later, world No. 21 Putul Sonowal will compete in the men’s singles sectional play against Canada’s Ryan Bester in what promises to be a stern test. Bester, a World Bowls Hall of Famer and the reigning men’s singles world champion, is returning for his seventh consecutive Commonwealth Games.
India Day 1 schedule
4:50 PM (tentative): Lawn Bowls (Women’s Pairs) – Rupa Rani Tirkey & Pinki | SEC Centre
6:15 PM (tentative): Lawn Bowls (Men’s Singles) – Putul Sonowal | SEC Centre
Glasgow 2026 also marks a first for the Commonwealth Games. Both lawn bowls and para lawn bowls will be staged indoors, with four portable rinks installed inside the SEC Centre. Previous editions featured outdoor greens. It was in Birmingham four years ago that India created history by winning one gold and one silver medal in the sport.
CWG 2026 Opening Ceremony
Opening Ceremony (Indian athletes): 12:30 AM IST (July 24)
Where to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live in India
Live streaming of the Commonwealth Games 2026 will be available on Sony LIV.
Television coverage will be available on Sony Sports Ten 2 and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD.
The Games will also be broadcast on Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi and its HD channel, while Sony Sports Ten 4 will offer coverage in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. In addition, DD Sports will telecast the Games live via DD Free Dish.
