Shooting is India's most successful Commonwealth Games sport with 135 medals
Jaspal Rana is India's most decorated CWG athlete, winning 15 medals, including nine gold
Shooting is not part of Glasgow 2026 after the Games were reduced to 10 sports
The Commonwealth Games 2026 get underway in Glasgow on July 23, with India hoping to add to an already impressive record at one of its most successful multi-sport events. Over 18 editions, the Indian contingent has collected 564 medals – 203 gold, 190 silver and 171 bronze, making the country the fourth-most successful nation in Commonwealth Games history.
India's medal-winning tradition has been built across disciplines such as wrestling, weightlifting, athletics, badminton and table tennis.
Yet, one sport has consistently stood above the rest in terms of podium finishes. It has also produced the country's most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete, whose record remains untouched nearly two decades after his final appearance at the Games.
Who Is The Most Successful Athlete In Commonwealth Games History?
Australian swimmer Emma McKeon is the most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history. The Olympic champion has enjoyed a remarkable run at the Games, winning a record 20 medals, including 14 gold, across three editions of the Commonwealth Games.
Her dominant performances in swimming events, especially in sprint freestyle and relays, have cemented her place among the greatest athletes in CWG history.
What Is India's Most Successful Sport At The Commonwealth Games?
The answer is shooting.
Although the sport has not featured at the last two editions of the Commonwealth Games, it remains India's most successful discipline in the history of the competition.
Indian shooters have won 135 medals, including 63 gold, 44 silver and 28 bronze, giving the country its highest medal haul in any sport at the Games.
The high point came when India hosted the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. Shooters delivered an extraordinary 30 medals, making them the biggest contributors to India's record haul of 101 medals on home soil.
Several of India's finest marksmen and markswomen have shaped that legacy over the years, including Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang, Samaresh Jung, Jaspal Rana, Vijay Kumar, Heena Sidhu, Apurvi Chandela, Jitu Rai and Manu Bhaker. Their performances helped establish India as one of the strongest shooting nations in the Commonwealth.
Who Has Won The Most Commonwealth Games Medals For India?
The distinction belongs to former pistol shooter Jaspal Rana, who remains India's most decorated athlete at the Commonwealth Games.
Rana competed at four consecutive editions between Victoria 1994 and Melbourne 2006, winning an unmatched 15 medals. His collection includes nine gold, four silver and two bronze medals, a record that still stands among Indian athletes.
His success came primarily in the centre-fire and standard pistol events, where he dominated for more than a decade and played a major role in India's rise as a shooting powerhouse.
Only fellow shooter Samaresh Jung, with 14 medals, has come close to Rana's tally. Table tennis legend Sharath Kamal is the highest-ranked athlete from another sport, having won 13 medals, including seven gold.
Rana's contribution to Indian shooting extended well beyond his competitive career. After retiring, he turned to coaching and became one of the country's leading mentors in pistol shooting. He worked extensively with young talent through the Jaspal Rana Shooting Academy and later returned to the national setup.
Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rana reunited with Manu Bhaker, guiding her preparations before she scripted history by becoming the first Indian athlete in the post-Independence era to win two medals at a single Olympic Games.
His expertise was further recognised in February 2025, when he was appointed India's high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline.
Rana passed away in June 2026 at the age of 49. In recognition of his immense contribution to Indian shooting, the National Rifle Association of India later renamed its July rifle and pistol championship as the Jaspal Rana Memorial India Open Competition.
Why Is Shooting Not Part Of Commonwealth Games 2026?
Despite its rich history at the Commonwealth Games, shooting will once again be missing from the programme in Glasgow 2026.
The sport was also excluded from the Birmingham 2022 edition, and its absence has continued after the Games underwent significant changes.
Originally, the 2026 Commonwealth Games were scheduled to be hosted by the Australian state of Victoria. However, the state government withdrew after citing rising costs, forcing organisers to find a replacement host.
Glasgow eventually stepped in but opted to stage a much smaller event to keep costs under control. As a result, the Games have been reduced to 10 sports, with several disciplines, including shooting, not making the final programme.
The decision has had a significant impact on India's medal prospects, considering shooting has historically been the country's strongest event at the Commonwealth Games.
