Badminton, Cricket & Hockey Out of CWG 2026: Here's Why

Badminton Missing from CWG 2026 as Glasgow Trims the Programme

The Commonwealth Games 2026, scheduled to run from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, will go ahead without several high-profile sports that fans have come to expect from the multi-sport event. Badminton, cricket, and field hockey are among the disciplines that will not appear on the programme, a situation that has drawn attention from sports communities across Commonwealth nations, particularly in South Asia.

The absences are not the result of a ban or a dispute. They stem from a combination of financial constraints, the short timeline for organising the Games, and a host-city model that has changed significantly since Birmingham held the event in 2022.

What Happened After the Original Host Pulled Out

The road to Glasgow 2026 was far from straightforward. The original host, Victoria in Australia, withdrew from its commitment in 2023, citing ballooning cost projections. With just a few years to find a replacement, the Commonwealth Games Federation turned to Glasgow, which had previously hosted the Games in 2014.

Glasgow stepped in under a reduced-scope agreement. Rather than building new venues or funding a sprawling multi-sport programme, the city agreed to host a leaner version of the Games using existing infrastructure. That decision directly shaped which sports made the cut. Venues capable of hosting badminton, hockey, and cricket either were not available, were not cost-effective to prepare in the available time, or fell outside the agreed scope of the streamlined event.

Cricket's inclusion had been a notable feature of Birmingham 2022, where the women's T20 competition drew strong crowds and broadcast interest. Its absence from Glasgow will disappoint boards and fans in countries like India, Australia, and the West Indies, where the format has a large following.

A Shorter, Tighter Games

The Glasgow 2026 edition is being designed around sports that can be accommodated within the city's existing facilities and the reduced budget framework that made the rescue hosting deal possible. The ten-day window, July 23 to August 2, is also shorter than a typical Commonwealth Games schedule, which further limits how many sports can realistically be staged.

For badminton specifically, the omission is a blow to athletes across Asia and Africa who have historically used the Commonwealth Games as a major ranking and qualification event. The BWF calendar and national federations will need to factor in the gap when planning competitive schedules for players who would otherwise have targeted a podium finish at the Games.

Field hockey faces a similar situation. Both the men's and women's tournaments have been a fixture of Commonwealth competition, and nations like Australia, India, and New Zealand have built significant rivalry through the event. Without a Glasgow slot, those rivalries will have to play out elsewhere in the international calendar.

What Sports Will Feature

While the full confirmed sport list for Glasgow 2026 continues to take shape, the Games are expected to concentrate on athletics, aquatics, gymnastics, boxing, weightlifting, and cycling, among other disciplines that fit within the available venues and logistical capacity. The priority has been on sports with established Glasgow-area facilities that do not require significant new construction or adaptation.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has indicated that the Glasgow edition is intended as a pragmatic solution to keep the Games alive following Victoria's withdrawal, rather than a blueprint for future editions. Longer-term discussions about the format, funding model, and host selection process for subsequent Games are ongoing within the federation.

For badminton players and fans, the key takeaway is practical: CWG 2026 will not offer ranking points or medal opportunities in the sport. Governing bodies and coaches will be watching closely to see whether the Commonwealth Games restores a fuller sport programme when a better-resourced host takes on future editions.