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Paralympic Committee of India official Satyanarayan Shimoga praised the performance of Indian athletes at the Commonwealth Games, saying the country's overall showing has been "very good" and highlighting the happiness among athletes, coaches and support staff.
Speaking to ANI, Shimoga said, "Overall Indian performance is very good... My athletes are very happy. You guys can see it in the closing ceremony... Not only athletes, but the coaches, support staff, even federation people, everyone is happy and hence performs." He recalled the difficulties India faced in winning medals at the Commonwealth Games in the past, saying, "Earlier, it was very difficult for us to get even a single medal in the Commonwealth." Shimoga also thanked Glasgow and the Scottish administration for successfully organising the event. "Also, thank Glasgow and Scotland administration for doing such a big event efficiently," he said. Meanwhile, the curtains came down on the 2026 Commonwealth Games after 11 days of competition, with Scotland formally handing over the Commonwealth Games flag and ceremonial baton to India, hosts of the landmark centenary edition in 2030, during a glittering closing ceremony. The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held in Ahmedabad, making India only the second nation after Australia to host the multi-sport event on more than one occasion. India had previously staged the Games in New Delhi in 2010. The Commonwealth Games flag and baton were presented to India's representatives, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha, and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi as part of the official handover ceremony. India also had plenty to celebrate on the sporting front, finishing fourth in the medals table with a haul of 39 medals, 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, to cap off a successful campaign. Although India's tally was lower than the 61 medals won in Birmingham in 2022, the context tells a different story. Thirty of those medals had come in sports that were dropped from the Glasgow programme. With only 122 athletes compared to 210 four years ago, India still managed to maintain its fourth-place finish while producing an even better medal conversion rate, with 38 athletes returning home with medals. Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh was the only Indian to win two medals. With the ceremonial handover complete, the focus now shifts to Ahmedabad, which will host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030. (ANI)
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