AFI sets tough qualification benchmarks for Commonwealth Games 2026

The Athletics Federation of India has released the official qualification standards for the Commonwealth Games, setting stringent benchmarks across track, field and combined events ahead of the Birmingham successor edition scheduled in 2026.

The federation has set entry marks that, in more than 10 events, require athletes to surpass the existing Indian national records to be considered for selection. The decision underlines AFI’s intent to send only medal-capable competitors to the Games and raise India’s overall performance level on the Commonwealth stage.

AFI has set these marks based on the 2022 Commonwealth Games, considering the top-4 performances across categories from that edition as the qualifying standard.

The standards cover a wide range of disciplines in both men’s and women’s categories. In sprint events, the men’s 100m qualification mark has been fixed at 10.16 seconds, while women will need to clock 11.17 seconds. Middle- and long-distance benchmarks are similarly demanding, with the men’s 1500m standard at 3:30.82 and the women’s 5000m mark set at 14:56.60.

Field events also feature aggressive cut-offs. Men’s javelin throwers must achieve a distance of 82.61 metres, while the women’s qualifying standard stands at 59.79 metres. In horizontal jumps, the long jump standards are 8.05m for men and 6.84m for women, which is hovering around recent national bests.

Combined events and relays have not been spared either. The decathlon entry requirement has been pegged at 7,787 points, while the women’s heptathlon standard is 6,095 points. Relay teams will also need to meet strict timing criteria, including 40.17 seconds for the men’s 4x100m.

Full list of qualification marks: