New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): Olympic medallists Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain will lead the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) naming the weightlifting star as the country’s flag bearer and the boxer as baton bearer.
The duo will perform the ceremonial honours during the opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro on July 23, marking the beginning of India’s campaign at the Games, according to Olympics.com.
Announcing the decision on Saturday, IOA president PT Usha expressed confidence in the experienced Olympians and said, “It is a matter of pride that Mirabai and Lovlina will be doing the honours at the OVO Hydro. I wish both the girls and the entire contingent good luck.”
Mirabai, India’s Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, will carry the Tricolour during the athletes’ parade, while Lovlina, who won bronze at the Tokyo Games, will carry the ceremonial King’s Baton.
For the Glasgow edition, each of the 74 Commonwealth nations and territories has been presented with a specially designed baton reflecting its unique culture and identity. The batons will be brought together during the opening ceremony before the Games are officially declared open.
The ceremony will also mark a change from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where every participating nation had two flag bearers–one male and one female. At Birmingham, badminton ace PV Sindhu and men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh had led the Indian contingent.
Interestingly, both Mirabai and Lovlina were among the athletes considered for the honour four years ago before the final decision went in favour of Sindhu and Manpreet.
Mirabai heads to Glasgow as one of India’s brightest medal hopes. The 31-year-old weightlifter is a two-time Commonwealth Games champion, having claimed gold medals at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. She will compete in the women’s 48kg category at Glasgow.
Lovlina, meanwhile, will be looking to win her maiden Commonwealth Games medal after missing out on the podium at both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. The 28-year-old, a former world and Asian champion, will compete in the women’s 75kg boxing event.
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, with India fielding a contingent of more than 120 athletes across eight able-bodied sports and five para sports as it looks to add to its rich legacy at the multi-sport event. (ANI)
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