The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games 2026 begins on Thursday. India's 124-member contingent for this edition features a blend of experienced campaigners and exciting young talent. While stars like Neeraj Chopra and Mirabai Chanu lead India's medal hopes, a handful of teenagers are preparing to make their Commonwealth Games debut.

Athletics has the greatest number of representatives for India with 32 names (10 women and 22 men), followed by boxing (14), judo (14) and weightlifting (12). At the 2022 CWG in Birmingham, India sent 210 athletes, with 61 medals won, although that edition also included the likes of cricket, badminton, hockey, squash, table tennis and wrestling - which contributed 30 medals altogether.

Youngest Indian athletes to feature at Glasgow CWG

Anahat Singh, a squash player, created history at the 2022 Commonwealth Games when he became the youngest ever Indian to be included in the tournament at just 14 years of age. While the pressure will be enormous for these young guns to deliver at the biggest stage, it remains to be seen how they perform. Here's a look at the five youngest Indian athletes who will be in action in Glasgow.

5. Animesh Kujur (23 years, 1 month, 21 days)

At just 23 years old, Animesh Kujur is widely regarded as one of India's most promising sprinters. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, Kujur initially played football before switching to athletics. He has since created history by clocking a national record of 20.32 seconds in the men's 200m, making him India's fastest-ever 200m runner.

His bronze medal at the Asian Athletics Championships also ended India's medal drought of more than a decade in the event. Although Glasgow 2026 features several top international sprinters, reaching the final itself would be a significant milestone for Kujur. It would also underline the steady rise of Indian sprinting and reflect the country's growing competitiveness in short-distance races.

4. Shreyansh Trivedi (20 years, 7 months, 15 days)

Shreyansh Trivedi is another top talent at just 20 years and 7 months old. He has already won bronze medals twice, both at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, in the 100m and 200m races. Starting in Lucknow, he began competing in 2019 and won a gold medal at his very first national meet.

3. Neeru Pathak (19 years, 5 months, 26 days)

At 19, Neeru Pathak is another youngster building her reputation rather than defending one, which actually makes her worth watching for a different reason. Relay running rewards athletes who can hold form under pressure without the luxury of experience.

Neeru Pathak is not heading to Glasgow with a national record or a viral clip to her name, and she is part of the mixed 4x400m relay pool that also includes Rashdeep Kaur and Ansa Babu.

2. Pooja Singh (19 years, 5 months, 2 days)

High jumper Pooja Singh is among the youngest members of India's contingent for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Born on February 21, 2007, the 19-year-old broke the senior national record in the women's high jump after clearing 1.93m to win gold at the 2026 Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong.

The mark also helped her surpass the 1.92m qualification standard for the Commonwealth Games. Earlier, at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, Pooja won the women's high jump gold, becoming only the second Indian woman after Bobby Aloysius to achieve the feat.

1. Lisha Das (16 years, 1 month, 15 days)

Receiving a call-up to the Indian team at just 16 is incredible, and Lisha Das will be the youngest athlete for India in this tournament. Still in the 11th grade, she rides with one arm and has gone from a promising junior to the youngest athlete in India's Commonwealth Games contingent. Bisht delivered impressive performances at the National Para Road Cycling Championship and the Asian Para Track Championships this year. She has also become the first para athlete from Assam to participate in the Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games 2026 at Glasgow will be her first taste of a Games of this scale, and she will aim to make history, with India still searching for its first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in track cycling.