Commonwealth Games 2026 Opening Ceremony Live: Watered down Games' to kick off on Thursday. (AP)

All eyes will be on the Indian contingent as the watered down Commonwealth Games kicks off with the Opening Ceremony at OVO Hydro on Wednesday night. India has sent a contingent of 126 athletes, significantly lesser than the one that was sent to Birmingham for 2022. This was the result of the sport count has dropped from 17 to 10 with badminton, hockey, wrestling, table tennis, squash and cricket all excluded which might hurt India’s medal tally this time around.

With the Opening Ceremony scheduled for 12.30 AM, India have already kicked off their campaign with wins in Lawn Bowls. Putul Sonowal defeated 2023 world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in tie-break in Lawn Bowls Men’s Singles while Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh won their Women’s Pairs opening match against Malta in tie-break.

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Also, star pugilist Lovlina Borgohain, who will be India’s flag bearer alongside weightlifter Mirabai Chanu in the Opening Ceremony, has already assured herself a medal without landing a single punch. The boxer from Assam received a direct entry into the semifinals of the women’s 75kg event, which guarantees her at least a bronze.

FOLLOW COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2026 OPENING CEREMONY LIVE BELOW.

Sports which collectively contributed to nearly half of India's medal haul at the 2022 CWG will not be there at the 2026 edtion. (PTI Photo)

Glasgow reopens a slimmed-down Commonwealth Games, minus India’s biggest medal sports

An Indian team member, who was in Glasgow 12 years ago as well, couldn’t help but compare the mood then and now upon reaching Scotland’s largest city. “In 2014,” he says, “the central square was a lively place where everyone congregated, creating a party atmosphere. When I passed it today, all I heard was drilling sounds, the road was dug up, and it was out of bounds.”

It isn’t a lament so much as a statement of fact. Exactly 12 years ago, during the opening ceremony of the previous Glasgow Commonwealth Games on July 23, 2014, Rod Stewart stood on a stage inside Celtic Park and belted out ‘Can’t Stop Me Now’ to a crowd that brought the proverbial roof off. As the flame reached Glasgow for Thursday night’s opening, the loudest noise this time is of the heavy construction machinery. (READ MORE)

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