It feels like a Conspiracy: BAI secretary vows for Protest after Badminton's 'Shocking' exclusion from Commonwealth Games

India and its sports fraternity have been hugely jolted by the latest decision from the Commonwealth Games committee, which has taken drastic steps on certain events.

The Commonwealth Games in 2026, which is set to take place in Scotland's capital Glasgow, has scraped off Hockey, Badminton, Wrestling and Shooting among many events.

It comes as a massive blow for India, as the Indian athletes racked up many medals in these disciplines over the years. Hockey, Shooting and Wrestling are India's primary forte for medals in the games, whereas Badminton has emerged as one of India's strongholds in the competition over the past few editions.

Amid the latest update, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has expressed their shock and has accused conspiracy theory against India

"It's shocking and a huge setback for Indian sports, with nearly 40 medals at risk from the dropped events. This isn't just a loss for sports and sportspersons; it feels like a conspiracy to sideline India's rising sporting potential in the region," a statement from Sanjay Mishra, the General Secretary of BAI said.

The BAI secretary also assured of protests and discuss with the highest authorities to determine the future of Indian sports.

"The Badminton Association of India stands firmly in protest and will be reaching out to all relevant authorities at the Commonwealth and BWF, as well as the highest levels of government in the country, to advocate for the future of Indian sports," it further added.

India, over the years, has won 31 medals in Badminton at the Commonwealth Games - 10 Gold, 8 Silver and 13 Bronze medals.

India Badminton at Commonwealth Games 2022

In 2022, India won six medals in Badminton, the most by a country at the event.

Lakshya Sen won the Gold medal in Men's Singles, which also saw Srikanth Kidambi winning the Bronze. The mixed team won Silver in the teams' competition.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won Gold in the Men's doubles, whereas Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand bagged Bronze in Women's doubles event. PV Sindhu also won the Gold in Women's Singles.