India has won 564 medals – 203 golds, 189 silvers and 172 bronze at the Commonwealth Games since its debut in 1934.

As the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games kickstart in two weeks, The Bridge takes a look at India’s glorious moments that gave us goosebumps and a sense of patriotism.

India’s First Win – Rashid Anwar

India’s Commonwealth Games journey began at the 1934 British Empire Games in London while still under colonial rule.

A six-member contingent represented the country across ten track and field events and one wrestling category.

It was in wrestling that India received it’s first breakthrough where Rashid Anwar etched his name in history by clinching a bronze medal in the men’s 74 kg freestyle event.

Post independence, India didn’t compete in the 1950 Games and returned empty handed from the 1954 edition in Vancouver.

India’s First Gold – Milkha Singh

Four years later in Cardiff 1958, Milkha Singh, the legendary “Flying Sikh”, delivered India’s first ever gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, winning the men’s 440-yard race in 46.71 seconds.

Two years later, Milkha’s win by 0.3s over South Africa’s Malcolm Spence had a turnaround affect with him stripping Milkha out of a bronze 400m medal by a tenth of a second.

Lila Ram Sangwan added a second Indian gold along side Milkha in heavyweight wrestling.

First women medallists

While women debuted in 1954, it was not until 1978 that India saw its first female medallists at the Games.

Cardiff 1958 saw track and field athletes Stephanie D’Souza and Elizabeth Davenport became the first Indian women to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

In the 1978 Games in Edmonton, Canada, Ami Ghia and Kanwal Thakar Singh secured a bronze medal in women’s doubles badminton, opening a historical new chapter for Indian women at the Commonwealth Games.

Hidden Gem in 1982

Syed Modi, became a national badminton singles champion at the age of 14 in 1976. Six years later he won gold at the men’s singles event of the Commonwealth Games 1982.

Modi won the Indian national title eight years in a row starting with 1980 but was murdered at the age of just 26, when coming out of a training session in Lucknow in 1988.

India’s must successful sport at CWG – Shooting

It is the shooters that have won the most medals for India at the CWG, with 135 podium finishes.

Pistol shooter Jaspal Rana is the most decorated Indian athlete winning a total of 15 medals – nine gold, four silver, and two bronze each in his career from his 1994 debut when he was 18 to 2006 at the Commonwealth Games.

In 2002 at his peak, he won a total of 6 medals (4 gold, 1 silver,1 bronze) where he won in disciplines like 25 m Centre Fire Pistol and 25 Standard Pistol.

Women’s hockey team (Manchester 2002)

The 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester saw the Indian women’s hockey team beat England in the final to win the gold medal.

Mamta Kharb scored a later winner for India in the match, leading them to a first-ever gold.

This moment later inspired the famous Bollywood film ‘Chak de! India.’

The Para Sport Ignite

Para sport became part of the Commonwealth Games programme at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. For India, the breakthrough moment came a few years later.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan etched his name in history by winning the country’s first para-sport medal. His 29.88 m throw in the seated discus event earned India a bronze.

Pride in India’s home games – 2010,New Delhi

As India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the athletes took complete advantage on field, winning 101 medals – 39 gold, 26 silver and 36 bronze.

The off-the field controversies, however, took the sheen off it with the Games still known for all the wrong reasons, starting from corruption.

Geeta Phogat (New Delhi 2010)

Geeta Phogat made history by being the first Indian female wrestler to win Commonwealth Games gold.

In the 55 kg freestyle wrestling, she completely dominated her opponent with a decisive 1-0, 7-0 victory. This inspired the inspirational film- ‘Dangal’.

Just a day later, her younger sister Babita Phogat added to India’s medal tally with an exceptional silver podium finish in the 51 kg freestyle wrestling category.

Glasgow at it’s best

Dipa Karmakar won a bronze medal in women’s vault discipline of Artistic Gymnastics at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first female Indian gymnast to score a medal in the sport.

She later went on to earned recognition from the gymnastic community by performing the Produnova, often called the “Vault of Death” owing to its difficulty level at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The Golden moments at Gold Coast 2018

Manika Batra produced a standout performance, at Gold Coast, Australia, emerging with four medals to her kitty. India finished third with 66 medals at this edition. Until then, table tennis had long been cornered to to tiny columns on the sports pages, but that changed.

Neeraj Chopra who was 20 years old, created history by becoming the country’s first javelin thrower to win a Commonwealth Games gold with an 86.47m attempt. His medal was only the fourth gold in the Commonwealth Games won by an Indian individual in a track and field event.

The shooting contingent was the most successful, racking up 16 medals. Teenagers led the shooting contingent with 16-year-old Manu Bhaker setting a Games record in the 10m air pistol and 15-year-old Anish Bhanwala becoming India’s youngest-ever gold medalist in the 25m rapid-fire pistol.