Axed sports disappointed by C'wealth Games cull

Terry Hee and Jessica Tan's historic mixed doubles badminton gold medal could become a rare commodity, as Singapore athletes and national bodies reacted with dismay on Oct 23 at the axing of several sports from the 2026 Commonwealth Games programme.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Badminton is among the sports, including table tennis, shooting, squash, hockey, cricket and rugby sevens, that were culled for the pared-down Games in Glasgow, which will feature just 10 disciplines, compared to 19 at the 2022 edition in Birmingham.

The decision, announced on Oct 22, is part of the Scottish city's 11th-hour offering to stage the Games from July 23 to Aug 2, 2026, after the withdrawal of Victoria, Australia as hosts in 2023.

Tan, 31, told The Straits Times: "Our gold medal in the mixed doubles is now even more valuable because it may be the last badminton gold medal awarded (at a Commonwealth Games).

"We have donated our jerseys from the final match to the National Museum of Singapore, so it is the only memento we have from that exhilarating victory."