The 2026 Commonwealth Games is scheduled to get underway in Glasgow, Scotland today (23).The opening ceremony of the Games is scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. local time.Medal events will run from Friday 24 July to Sunday 2 August, with more than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations a…
The 2026 Commonwealth Games is scheduled to get underway in Glasgow, Scotland today (23).The opening ceremony of the Games is scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. local time.Medal events will run from Friday 24 July to Sunday 2 August, with more than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories competing for 215 golds. Sri Lanka have named a 40-member contingent for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The 2026 Games are the 23rd edition of a competition that first started in 1930 as the British Empire Games.In the 21st century, Birmingham, the Gold Coast, Glasgow, Delhi, Melbourne and Manchester have served as host cities.Unlike events such as the Olympics and Paralympics, countries that are part of Great Britain compete separately. That means that England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are pitted against each other rather than grouped together.The Commonwealth Games is effectively a scaled-down version of the Olympics and Paralympics but all competing nations tend to have historical ties to the British Empire.Like the Olympics and Paralympics, the Commonwealth Games are also held every four years - in between each Olympic and Paralympic cycle.A total of 10 different sports will be played at the 2026 Commonwealth Games - a significant drop from the 17 sports represented the last time Glasgow held the event in 2014.While hockey and all racquet sports were among those to be dropped, the likes of athletics, swimming, track cycling, netball, boxing and judo all made the final list.There are also Para events in athletics, swimming, track cycling, powerlifting and bowls.Full list of sports at the 2026 Commonwealth GamesAthletics and Para-athletics (track and field only)Swimming and Para-swimmingArtistic gymnasticsTrack cycling and Para-track cyclingNetballWeightlifting and Para-powerliftingBoxingJudoBowls and Para-bowls3x3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketballWhich nations are taking part in the Games?All 74 members of the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) are set to compete in this year's Games in Glasgow.Those are made up of 55 sovereign states, nine British Overseas Territories, the four United Kingdom home nations, three Crown Dependencies, two associated states of the Realm of New Zealand and one external territory of Australia.Nine other nations have previously been members of the CGA, but have since either merged with other nations or withdrawn from the CGA.They are Aden, Hong Kong, Ireland, Irish Free State, Newfoundland, North Borneo, Sarawak, South Arabia, Zimbabwe.Unlike the rest of the nations competing, 2026 Commonwealth Games debutants Gabon and Togo do not have historical links with the Commonwealth.Both nations only joined the Commonwealth in 2022.Sri Lanka at Commonwealth GamesSri Lanka fielded a strong contingent for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. Sri Lanka finished the competition with four medals (one silver and three bronze) and was ranked 31st overall on the medals table.Meanwhile, Team Sri Lanka travelled to Glasgow with a contingent of 40 athletes, supported by 14 sport-specific team officials. The athlete contingent consists of 27 male and 13 female athletes who will compete across seven sports.Sri Lanka secured qualification in Para Athletics and Weightlifting through the respective international qualification pathways, while athletes competing in Athletics, Boxing, Judo, Artistic Gymnastics and Swimming earned their places through the Commonwealth Games Open Allocation system.The sport-wise breakdown of Team Sri Lanka is as follows:Para Athletics – 2 athletes (1 male, 1 female)Weightlifting – 5 athletes (3 males, 2 females)Athletics – 20 athletes (15 males, 5 females)Boxing – 6 athletes (4 males, 2 females)Judo – 2 athletes (2 males)Artistic Gymnastics – 3 athletes (1 male, 2 females)Swimming – 2 athletes (1 male, 1 female)The wider contingent management comprises Chef de Mission Niluka Karunaratne OLY, General Team Manager Mohamed Rifath, two administrative personnel, one Safeguarding Officer, one Press Attaché, and five medical personnel, ensuring comprehensive operational, communications and medical support throughout the Games.The delegation will be led by Chef de Mission (CDM) Niluka Karunaratne OLY, one of Sri Lanka's most accomplished Olympians and sports administrators. A three-time Olympian and six-time Commonwealth Games representative, he currently serves as the Chairperson of the Athletes' Commission and Chairperson of the Games Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC Sri Lanka) and the Commonwealth Games Association of Sri Lanka (CGA Sri Lanka). Supporting him is General Team Manager (GTM) Mohamed Rifath, who brings a distinguished background in rowing and sports administration. A former National Rowing Coach with five years of coaching experience, he currently serves as the Vice President of the Sri Lanka Rowing Federation.Sri Lanka's campaign will commence with Artistic Gymnastics, Boxing and Swimming, which will be contested from 24 to 28 July, 24 July to 1 August, and 24 to 29 July, respectively. Weightlifting will follow from 26 to 30 July, while Athletics and Para Athletics will take place from 27 July to 1 August. Team Sri Lanka's final sport will be Judo, with competition scheduled from 31 July to 2 August, concluding on the final day of the Games.Leading Team Sri Lanka at the Opening Ceremony will be Palitha Bandara, who has been named the nation's Flag Bearer. One of Sri Lanka's most accomplished para-athletes, Bandara is a two-time Paralympian, having secured fifth place in the Men's Shot Put F63 at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He also claimed a bronze medal at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, a silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and medals at multiple editions of the Asian Para Games, making him one of Sri Lanka's most decorated para-athletes.Joining him as Baton Bearer will be Janani Dhananjana, one of Sri Lanka's leading young para-athletes. Competing in the 100m, 200m and Long Jump (T47) events, Janani represented Sri Lanka at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where she finished ninth in the Women's Long Jump T47. She is also a silver medallist at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Para Games and represented Sri Lanka at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, further establishing herself among the region's leading para-athletes.The contingent will be captained by Rumesh Tharanga, Sri Lanka's national record holder in the men's javelin throw and one of the country's most accomplished track and field athletes. Rumesh has enjoyed a remarkable rise on the international stage, breaking the Sri Lankan national record on multiple occasions, including his current national record of 92.62 metres, achieved at the 2026 Golden Gala in Rome. The throw was not only a national and meet record, but also the world-leading mark of the 2026 season at the time and propelled him to eighth on the all-time world list. He has since continued his outstanding form with victories at the Golden Spike Ostrava and the Doha Diamond League, and currently holds the World No. 2 ranking in the men's javelin throw, underlining his status as one of the world's elite throwers.Commenting on Team Sri Lanka's participation at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, President of NOC/CGA Sri Lanka, Asanga Seneviratne, said, “As Team Sri Lanka prepares to compete at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, I extend my heartfelt best wishes to all our athletes and officials. The Commonwealth Games Association of Sri Lanka, together with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, has worked tirelessly to provide our team with the support, resources, and expertise needed to perform at their best. We remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence and stand firmly behind our athletes. I am confident that Team Sri Lanka will compete with pride, uphold the true values of sport, and bring honour and glory to our motherland.”
