Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Felicitates Commonwealth Games 2026 Medallists in Boxing, Judo, and Para-Athletics

NEW DELHI — Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday felicitated the Indian athletes who returned from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 after delivering landmark performances across boxing, judo, and para-athletics.

During the felicitation ceremony held in New Delhi, Dr. Mandaviya honoured the medal winners with cash awards: ₹30 lakh for Gold medallists, ₹20 lakh for Silver medallists, and ₹10 lakh for Bronze medallists.

Addressing the contingent, the Sports Minister called on the athletes to mentor the next generation of sports talent and contribute to building a long-term sports culture in the country. He encouraged veterans and newly crowned champions to consider establishing sports academies upon retiring from active competition.

"Let us not just win a Commonwealth Games medal with the aim to bag a government job. I urge all of you to run sports academies once you retire from your active career," Dr. Mandaviya stated, reinforcing the vision of putting "India first."

Historic Performances in Glasgow

India recorded historic milestones across multiple disciplines at the 2026 Commonwealth Games:

• Boxing: The Indian boxing contingent topped the boxing medal tally with a total of 10 medals (7 Gold, 3 Silver). Gold medal winners included Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), and Ankush Panghal (80kg). Silver medals were secured by Jadumani Singh (55kg), Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), and Narender Berwal (90+kg).

• Judo: Scripting its best-ever Commonwealth Games performance in judo, India won four medals—two Gold, one Silver, and one Bronze. Khelo India athletes Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh created history by capturing India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games Gold medals in judo, with Dey becoming the first Indian female judoka and Singh the first Indian male judoka to reach the top of the podium.

• Para-Athletics: The para-athletics squad delivered strong performances, marking a major milestone for Indian para-sports on the global stage.

Focus on Expanded ₹36,000 Crore Khelo India Scheme

Highlighting the government's sustained commitments to athletic infrastructure and athlete development through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), national training camps, and international exposure, Dr. Mandaviya noted that the expanded Khelo India scheme now holds an investment of ₹36,000 crore.

Looking forward to the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, the Minister urged the athletes to leverage their current momentum: "I want all of you to use this morale boost to win more gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games. Those who have won silver and bronze must strive for gold, while those who have won gold must sustain this level of excellence."