The medal that started it all: Rashid Anwar and India's Commonwealth Games journey

The Commonwealth Games 2026 are less than a week away, with India set to compete in its 19th edition.

Since making its debut in 1934, India has won a total of 564 Commonwealth Games medals, including 203 gold, 190 silver and 171 bronze.

Over the decades, the country has produced several champions and memorable performances, but every journey has a beginning. India's Commonwealth Games story started with wrestler Rashid Anwar.

India made its Commonwealth Games debut at the 1934 British Empire Games in London.

The Indian contingent comprised six athletes who competed in 10 athletics events and one wrestling event. India returned home with just one medal, but it was a historic one.

Rashid Anwar became India's first-ever Commonwealth Games medallist after claiming bronze in the men's 74kg freestyle wrestling event. He secured the medal by defeating Wales' Leonard Morgan before finishing behind Canada's Joe Schleimer and England's William Fox in the final standings. The competition followed a bracket-style format, with no separate bronze medal match.

The achievement was historic not only because it was India's first Commonwealth Games medal, but also because the country had to wait another 24 years for its next podium finish. India competed again at the 1938 Commonwealth Games in Sydney with a larger contingent that also featured cycling, but failed to add to its medal tally.

The Commonwealth Games were then interrupted by the Second World War. The 1942 edition, scheduled to be held in Montreal, Canada, was cancelled following the outbreak of the war. Although the conflict ended in 1945, the 1946 Games were also cancelled as nations continued to recover from the devastation, facing economic challenges, travel restrictions and extensive rebuilding efforts.

The Games finally returned in 1950 in Auckland, New Zealand. India competed once again but had to wait another edition for its breakthrough. That moment arrived at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, where sprint legend Milkha Singh became the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal after clinching the men's 440 yards title in a Games record time of 46.6 seconds. South Africa's Malcolm Spence took silver, while Canada's Terry Tobacco won bronze.

From Rashid Anwar's historic bronze in 1934 to Milkha Singh's unforgettable gold in 1958, these two milestones laid the foundation for India's remarkable Commonwealth Games journey.

Over the decades, India has transformed from a nation celebrating its first medal to one of the Games' leading sporting powers, amassing 564 medals and producing generations of champions across multiple disciplines.