Commonwealth Games 2010: Shooters lead India’s best-ever medal haul

India won 101 medals, including 38 golds, at New Delhi 2010, making it the country’s most successful Commonwealth Games yet. Shooters led the way with 30 medals.

2 minBy Utathya Nag
India's Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang at Commonwealth Games 2010_GettyImages-104783352
(Getty Images)

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi will always be special in Indian sports history.

It was the first time that India hosted the Commonwealth Games and the country’s athletes made sure they celebrated the occasion with performances to remember.

New Delhi 2010 was India’s best performance at the Commonwealth Games to date. India won a total of 101 medals, including 38 golds, to finish second on the Commonwealth Games 2010 medals table.

New Delhi 2010 remains the only time India won more than a 100 medals at any edition of CWG. The country’s second-best haul is 69 medals, including 30 golds, at Manchester 2002.

At the 2010 CWG, Indian men won 64 medals while the women pitched in with 36. The only mixed team medal came in badminton, a silver.

Australia topped the 2010 Commonwealth Games medals tally with 177 medals, garnished with 74 golds.

The Indian medal rush was spearheaded by the shooting contingent, headlined by Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra. Indian shooters accounted for 30 of India’s 101 medals and 14 of the 38 top podium finishes.

Wrestlers, too, shone with 19 of the 21 Indian grapplers participating at the 2010 CWG securing a podium.

Additionally, the 2010 Commonwealth Games also marked many firsts for Indian athletes. Geeta Phogat created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after dominating the women’s 55kg category.

Meanwhile, Ashish Kumar registered India’s first Commonwealth Games medal in gymnastics after he won a silver and bronze.

Krishna Poonia’s women’s discus throw gold at New Delhi 2010 also ended India’s 52-year long wait for a top podium finish in an athletics event at the CWG.

Milkha Singh’s win in the men’s 440 yards race at Cardiff 1958 was India’s only athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

A total of 4,352 athletes from 36 different nations and territories competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The Indian contingent was 495-member strong.

Commonwealth Games 2010 medals tally

Commonwealth Games 2010: Indian medal winners by sport