Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Hockey became one of the multiple prominent sports to be axed from the 2026 Commonwealth Games as hosts Glasgow focused on cutting costs. The Scottish city, which had staged the Games in 2014, stepped in at a late stage after the Victorian government in Australia abandoned plans due to rising costs.
In a bid to keep the Games to fewer stadiums and without the need to build infrastructure, the hosts culled the programme to 10 sports with hockey, wrestling, cricket and diving getting the chop.
Hockey had been one of the mainstays in the Commonwealth Games since making its debut in 1998. Australia have dominated the sport at the quadrennial event winning seven golds in men and four in women. India, meanwhile, clinched three silver medals in the men’s event and three, including a gold in 2002, in the women’s.
“Absence of hockey at the Commonwealth Games is not a good sign. The sport was growing in India and globally so it came as a blow. But we do have other big tournaments such as the World Cup, Olympics etc. where we should focus more now,” said former drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh in a conversation with TimesofIndia.com.
“It used to be perfect preparation before the World Cup for teams like Australia, England, India. And this was good preparation alongside practice and test matches,” added the 2014 Commonwealth Games medallist.
The writing was always on the wall. Glasgow Games organisers had proposed four venues — Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Scotstoun Stadium (rugby and squash facilities), Tollcross International Swimming Centre and Scottish Events Campus. None of these venues have a hockey turf.
Hockey’s omission could also be down to the fact that the Games, to be held from July 23 to August 2, come close to the FIH World Cup that is scheduled two weeks later from August 15 to 30 in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands.
For Indian athletes, Commonwealth Games provided not just a launchpad in preparation for future events but also an avenue for medal winners to claim government jobs and prize money.
“For Indian athletes it was a good platform to get financial support, be it any sport. Our policies are such that if you win medals at the Commonwealth Games then you get jobs and prize money. But now that this decision is made, we can only guess why hockey has been omitted,” said Rupinder.
Later, the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) clarified that the decision to not include the sport in Glasgow was a one-off.
“Whilst the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had to confirm a new host for the 2026 Games in a short timeframe after the withdrawal from the Victorian Government and whilst we’ve taken note that the new concept for 2026 has been downsized, with a core offering of only 10 sports, we’re all the more disappointed by the CGF’s decision not to have hockey on the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games programme,” the FIH said in a statement.
“That our sport has been played at every Commonwealth Games since 1998, something we are very proud of. With a reduction from 19 to 10 sports compared to the last edition of the Games, hockey is therefore in the same situation as eight other sports,” the statement continued.
“However, the CGF has been very clear in their various exchanges with FIH that this decision is exceptional, and related to the challenging nature of this specific edition of the Commonwealth Games.
“CGF has asserted that this decision will not impact the inclusion of hockey into future editions of the Commonwealth Games and that FIH remains a key partner and friend in both the history and future of the Commonwealth movement,” a FIH spokesperson said in a statement.
“As CGF has confirmed that hockey remains an important sport for the Federation, its members, and the Commonwealth movement, we welcome their invitation to discuss further opportunities for hockey with the Commonwealth movement in the future,” the statement said.
