Wrestling to bear the brunt after key sports dropped from  Commonwealth Games 2026

Wrestling's from the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games will hugely impact this sport in Pakistan, which was the medal-winning discipline for the country in the quadrennial event.

The decision will also shrink Pakistan’s medal chances in these Games which will be hosted by Scotland after Australia withdrew from hosting the event due to financial issues.

Pakistan’s key national wrestlers have been hurt by the decision.

“Yes, I did not expect this,” Pakistan’s experienced wrestler Mohammad Bilal told Nukta from Gujranwala. “I learnt yesterday that it has happened and it’s a huge blow for us and for the country as well. It was an event where we can secure medals. I also wanted this time to lift gold but the news has broken my heart.”

“Winning a medal in it motivates you for future major events,” added Bilal, who was a major medal hope in the coming edition of the Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, former Youth Olympics bronze medalist Inayatullah said that wrestling should not have been removed from the list of disciplines.

“It should not have been removed. It’s a major discipline. It was much better for Pakistan as there we can even pull off golds by undergoing solid training for a few months,” Inayat said.

Former Youth Olympics bronze medalist Inayatullah.PSB

Another seasoned wrestler Sharif Tahir, who had claimed silver in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, also termed the decision unfortunate.

“It’s unfortunate,” Sharif told Nukta.

“We always desire to play at the highest level and Commonwealth Games was one of our major targets. I request the Commonwealth Games Federation to restore the event in 2026 Glasgow edition,” Sharif said.

Pakistan Wrestling Federation’s (PWF) vice-president Arshad Sattar, who is handling the entire wrestling affaires, has said that it will leave a bad impact on Pakistan’s wrestling.

“It will hugely impact Pakistan’s wrestling and the wrestlers will be hurt through this decision,” Arshad told Nukta.

“If you pick up the record right from the start Pakistan has been a major medal-winning nation in wrestling. And it also has been happened if there were eight weights so we have got seven gold and a silver,” Arshad recalled, hinting at the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games where Pakistan picked seven gold and one silver in wrestling.

“We have also requested Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) to request the Commonwealth Games Federation to restore the discipline. India has also strongly requested the organizers also for its restoration as they have reached world level standard in wrestling and can win most of the medals at this stage.

“Look, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) usually holds our camps keeping in view medals prospects. If wrestling is not in the Commonwealth Games then you can imagine how it (PSB) will hold our camp and the whole community will suffer with this.”

He hoped that wrestling will be restored.

“The way pressure is being built and keeping the importance of the event it will definitely be restored,” Arshad said.

Pakistan’s performance at CWG wrestling

Since the inaugural edition of the Commonwealth Games held in Vancour, Canada, way back in 1954 Pakistani wrestlers have so far claimed 42 medals in wrestling which include 22 gold, 12 silvers and eight bronze.

Overall Pakistan have grabbed 82 medals including 27 gold, 27 silvers and 28 bronze and it means that only in wrestling Pakistan have bagged more than 50 percent of the total medals.

The Commonwealth Games Federation have omitted 12 disciplines including badminton, diving, squash, rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis, hockey, rugby sevens, road cycling, mountain biking, triathlon, beach volleyball and wrestling.

Women cricket had made its debut in the previous edition in Birmingham in 2022 in which Australia had won the T20 title after downing India in the final at Edgbaston.

However, it has now been dropped for the 2026 edition in Glasgow which had previously hosted the spectacle in 2014 edition.

Shooting and hockey also miss out

Like in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, shooting again has not been picked.

In the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games Pakistan got two bronze medals in shooting while in 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games the country got a silver before securing one silver in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Pakistan’s most experienced and three-time Olympian shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir has said that it is unfortunate that shooting again will be missed in 2026 Glasgow edition.

“It will be a big miss especially for both Pakistan and India. In the past too Pakistan have won medals in it and medals still can be won. Unfortunately, Commonwealth Games is the only event which I have not featured in so far and definitely I had the desire to play in it,” GM Bashir told Nukta.

GM Bashir is the only Pakistani shooter to have won bronze in the World Championship.

Hockey will also be a big miss for Pakistan in the 2026 edition. Pakistan have secured silvers in the 2006 and 2010 editions of the Commonwealth Games. In the 2002 Manchester Games Pakistan claimed bronze in hockey.

In the last two editions held in 2018 in Australia and 2022 in Birmingham, Pakistani team gave tough time to the oppositions.

What POA will do now

This correspondent has learnt that Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has also written to the Commonwealth Games Federation previously that disciplines including hockey, wrestling, weightlifting, squash and shooting should be part of the Games.

And after the omission of a few key disciplines including hockey, wrestling and squash the POA will write to it again for their restoration to the disciplines list which will be part of the Games in 2026.

“Yes, we will again write to them,” a senior POA official told Nukta