Who are the Commonwealth Games winners and losers?

When legendary rocker Ozzy Osborne brought the curtain down on the 2022 Commonwealth Games, there was a sense of euphoria in Birmingham.

The Games was widely considered a roaring success, providing a post-Covid buzz to the city, the country and the competing Commonwealth nations.

However, it came at a price. Costing £800m, it was the most expensive sports event hosted in the UK since the 2012 Olympics.

Reform of the Games – making it more cost-effective, sustainable and future-proof – was already an intense discussion point.

Then, the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 event. State Premier Daniel Andrews concluded it was “all cost and no benefit” and plunged the future of the Commonwealth Games into serious doubt.

To the rescue came Glasgow.

The Scottish city hosted the Games in 2014 but it will have a very different, streamlined look when it returns there in two years’ time, with only 10 sports to be played out over four venues at an estimated cost of about £140m.

“The Games had got out of hand – it was too big and trying to be a ‘mini Olympics’,” Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir told BBC Sport.

Earlier, Sadleir said: “We want to create a sustainable model that can go around the Commonwealth because the Commonwealth members love the Commonwealth Games and we want to take it there as well.”

The Commonwealth Games has always had a flexible programme, where the choice of sports is dictated by the host city.

The list is drawn up after consideration to the “universality of participation and quality of competition”, as well as local infrastructure and interest.

At Glasgow 2026, there will be 10 sports:

Twelve sports that featured at Birmingham 2022 – plus the marathon, Para marathon and 10k walk, which are typically key components of the athletics and Para-athletics events – will not be staged in Glasgow.

The sports that have been cut are:

Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, only athletics and swimming were assured of their place at Glasgow 2026 as ‘mandatory’ Commonwealth Games sports.

The sports dropped have met the decision with understandable disappointment.

Diving has been part of every Games since 1930 but has missed out in Glasgow, with a lack of an existing purpose-built venue being cited as the primary reason.

Scottish Swimming acknowledged the “difficult decisions” facing organisers but Diving Australia said the sport’s Commonwealth heritage made the decision “even more regrettable”.

Hockey is another long-standing core sport – having been introduced in 1998 – to lose out.

“It is really disappointing and a reflection of where we are as a sport,” said former Great Britain captain Kate Richardson-Walsh, who helped England win women’s hockey silver at Glasgow 2014.

“It is a moment where we should reflect as a sport, for many different reasons, about how we can improve and stay relevant.”

Squash, badminton and table tennis were all culled, meaning there will be no racquet sports in Glasgow.

Three-time squash gold medallist Nick Matthew was surprised his sport’s “heritage and tradition of providing a world class competition in the Commonwealths” did not save its place.

“It’s a blow. With the UK countries, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, etc, the depth of competition is incredibly high,” said Matthew.

“Hockey missing out stood out to me as well. I think you would be hard pushed to see more world class sports at Commonwealth level than squash or hockey.”

Scottish badminton player Kirsty Gilmour, who won silver at Glasgow 2014, said she felt “sad” for young players who are missing out on a global event.

“We had to have conversations in training about realigning focuses and future prospects because for the 19, 20, 21-year-olds that was going to be a big multisport doorstep event,” the 31-year-old Glaswegian told BBC Radio 5 Live.

For many sports, the Commonwealth Games remains the biggest stage to showcase their talent, both to home and international audiences.

More eyeballs on the sport can lead to more interest and, crucially, more investment for today’s and tomorrow’s stars.

“These are small windows of opportunities for minority sports to be seen and to get support which they’re now going to miss out,” said Richardson-Walsh, who had a stint as assistant coach of the Canada women’s hockey team last year.

“What does that mean for these sports and countries?”

India, who were fourth in the 2022 medal table, are one of the competing national teams who look set to be hit hardest by the slimmed-down programme.

According to ESPN, there were 210 Indian athletes who competed in Birmingham – 98 participated in sports which have been axed.

Indian competitors won 61 medals for their nation, including 30 in events not being held in Glasgow.

“It is a shocking and huge setback for Indian sports,” said Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Badminton Association of India.

“It feels like a conspiracy to sideline India’s rising sporting potential.”

Gilmour also pointed to the impact on athletes from smaller competing nations.

“The beauty of the Commonwealth Games is that smaller nations are there to feel what that big stage is like,” Gilmour said. “There is a real depth and breadth to the Games.”

Scaling down the Commonwealth Games means fewer sports, fewer athletes and fewer venues.

The cost-cutting measures left many – including long-standing core sports which see the Commonwealth Games as the pinnacle – facing an anxious wait.

Netball was one of them. Yet to be elevated to an Olympic sport, its biggest global platform is the Commonwealth Games and there was a sense of relief that it will feature in Glasgow.

Scotland international Niamh McCall said she was nervous when “glued” to news of the decision because of the impact being included – or not – would have on her sport.

“The Commonwealth Games are massive for our sport because we don’t compete at the Olympics. It is important and for young girls to see us play and get involved,” McCall told BBC Scotland.

England memorably won netball gold in 2018, watched by a BBC television audience of 1.8m and sparking a surge of interest.

“I don’t think anybody will ever forget 2018 and that last-second goal which inspired so many people to get behind our Roses and get involved in the sport,” said England Netball chief executive Fran Connolly.

Boxing and lawn bowls – both present in the inaugural edition of the event in 1930 – have also made the cut despite fears they might be dropped.

Officials from World Bowls, Bowls Scotland and Bowls England said they were “delighted” that the sport’s “pinnacle event” remained.

“It creates unparalleled levels of visibility, inspires new people to take up bowls and provides a North Star for our leading bowlers,” added the world governing body.

Para-sport will again be fully integrated at the Games, with six sports – down from eight – included on the programme.

“Integration of Para-sport has been a very successful aspect of the Commonwealth Games programme since Manchester 2002,” said Paralympics Australia interim CEO Cameron Murray.

“We are pleased to see a high level of representation that ensures the Games remains a great example of inclusion and diversity in elite sport.”

As the disappointment of missing out sunk in for some sports, Games officials have been keen to stress the door has not been shut for good.

“This is a compact programme and it has been necessitated by the timeframe we have had to develop a world-class event,” said CGF chief executive Sadleir.

“This is definitely not a precedent of which sports will be on the programme in the future.”

That is presuming, however, there are takers to host the 2030 event. The existential threat to the Games continues to loom large.

“Not much of the Commonwealth Games left is there,” said television presenter Fred Sirieix, whose daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix was a diving gold medallist at Birmingham 2022.

“Such a scaled-back competition makes you wonder about its future.”

Conal Heatley, the chief executive of Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland, said he feared the Games could “slip away” after Victoria pulled the plug.

“I think if we had looked at its future six or nine months ago, I’d have been nervous. I’m a lot more confident now,” he said.

Sadleir remains optimistic about 2030, saying “three countries” have expressed interest in hosting what would be a centenary Games.

She said: “I want to start having a conversation so the Games is strong and alive.”