Commonwealth Games to undergo radical revamp from 2026 with ‘strategic roadmap’

England’s Kyle Langford and Kenya’s Wycliffe Kinyamal compete in the athletics men's 800m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 12, 2018. / AFP PHOTO

Athletics and Swimming are set to be the only compulsory sports at future Commonwealth Games under a proposed “strategic roadmap” to give hosts more flexibility, increase the event’s appeal and drive down costs.

Next year’s Games scheduled to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8 will feature 19 sports, but the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has recommended that “approximately 15 sports” feature at future Games from the 2026 event onwards.