Expert voices: What the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games programme cuts mean for athletes

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More than a medal: what the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games programme cuts mean for athletes

Published on 27 July 2026

by Maria Goriup, Lecturer, Department of Sport

  • profile placeholder

    Lecturer, Department of Sport

    profile placeholder

    Maria Goriup

    Lecturer, Department of Sport

    Maria has worked in high performance sport for the last 8 years, most recently with the British Fencing, Badminton and Snowsports teams. She has obtained degrees from Loughborough (BSc), Middlesex (MSc) and Brunel University (MSc) where she has continually aimed to expand her knowledge in the fields of sports science, management and the rehabilitation of athletes.

    Read Maria Goriup's Profile

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games have been praised for ensuring the event survives despite significant financial challenges. After the original Australian hosts withdrew due to rising costs, Glasgow stepped in with scaled-back Games, using existing venues and a reduced sports programme. While this approach has safeguarded the future of the event, it has also come at a cost for athletes, practitioners and sporting communities.

For many competitors, the Commonwealth Games are far more than just another competition. They represent years of preparation, sacrifice and ambition. The removal of sports such as rugby sevens, hockey and badminton has not only eliminated medal opportunities, but may have also affected athlete motivation, funding and the long-term development of these sports.

The Commonwealth Games are unique because athletes from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete as separate nations rather than under Team GB. This creates fierce Home Nation rivalries, while giving athletes the rare opportunity to represent their own country on an international stage. For many, wearing their national colours at a Commonwealth Games is one of the proudest moments of their sporting career.

The removal of rugby sevens and hockey is particularly disappointing because both have traditionally been among the Games' most competitive events. The Home Nations have enjoyed considerable success in both sports, and for many players Glasgow 2026 could have represented a realistic opportunity to compete for medals on home soil.

"For hockey to be excluded, it was really sad to see. Scottish hockey is currently on the up, so it was an opportunity for the host nation to showcase their ability to the rest of the world. The Commonwealth Games was, is, and will always be a stepping stone for smaller nations to test their ability against some of the best. Winning a medal or even making a semi-final would help grow the game and attract sponsors. Furthermore, it also reduces the number of competitive events in the hockey calendar. Multi-sport events are special, and apart from the Olympics, there aren’t any events like this", said Mo Mea, former South African hockey player.

The timing is especially challenging for rugby sevens. Over the past year, several Home Nation rugby unions have reduced or withdrawn funding from their sevens programmes. Fewer central contracts and reduced international competition threaten player development, and the loss of the Commonwealth Games removes one of the sport's highest-profile targets. As rugby sevens remains an Olympic sport, this could also have longer-term consequences for the Home Nations' ability to develop players and teams capable of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Badminton is another significant omission. As one of the Commonwealth Games' traditional sports, it has consistently provided athletes with opportunities to compete on a major international stage while inspiring future generations through television coverage and the unique atmosphere of a multi-sport event.

Former Commonwealth badminton medallist Lauren Smith described the decision as "a big loss for the sports that aren't in". They explained that the Games provide "one of the few occasions to be visible on British TV and in front of live crowds", giving athletes and their sports exposure that is rarely achieved elsewhere. Reflecting on her own journey, she recalled how watching the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 inspired her to take up badminton before later competing herself. "Experiencing a multi-sport event for the first time was incredible," Lauren said. "It helped me at future, bigger multi-sport events because it stopped me being overwhelmed by the occasion." Lauren also highlighted the pride of representing a Home Nation, adding:

The pride athletes feel representing their country as part of a wider team is really special, so it's sad that it's been taken away."

Gold medallist Marcus Ellis, who competed at both the Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, echoed those concerns. "The decision to leave badminton out of the Commonwealth Games is incredibly disappointing. It's a sport that has proudly contributed to the success of the Games for such a long time," he said. Describing the Games as "one of the proudest moments of my career", Marcus added that it was "sad to think that the next generation of players will be denied the same opportunity to represent their country and experience the unique platform the Commonwealth Games provides." He concluded: "I hope badminton returns to the Commonwealth Games in the future where it truly belongs."

The impact extends far beyond the athletes themselves. Every team travelling to a Commonwealth Games is supported by a multidisciplinary performance team, including physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, sports psychologists, nutritionists and performance analysts. When sports are removed from the programme, these support teams are often reduced or disappear altogether. This not only removes valuable opportunities for practitioners to gain experience in a major multi-sport environment but can also result in specialist roles and contracts being lost.

As a physiotherapist who supported Team England at the Gold Coast 2018 Games, I know first-hand that the experience helps develop skills at the highest level of elite sport – not to mention the pride of representing your nation. The experience was for me one of the greatest privileges, both personally and professionally. Working in a multi-sport environment gave me the opportunity to learn from world-class athletes and practitioners while developing my own role under the unique pressures of a major Games. The experience proved invaluable, and I later went to support athletes at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Glasgow deserves recognition for ensuring the Commonwealth Games continue, however the programme reductions show that these decisions have consequences far beyond balancing budgets. They affect athletes chasing lifelong ambitions, practitioners building careers in high-performance sport, and young people looking for inspiration. If the Commonwealth Games are to remain one of the world's great multi-sport events, future organisers must find a way to balance financial sustainability with protecting the opportunities that have helped generations of athletes and support staff thrive at the highest level.

Maria Goriup is available for interview. Please contact pressoffice@uel.ac.uk to arrange.

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