The first champions of Glasgow 2026

The first gold medals of the Games will not be won in the pool or the gymnastics arena. They will be decided in Para Powerlifting.

For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, the opening gold medal of the Games will be awarded to a Para athlete, with the men's lightweight champion crowned before the women's medal ceremony follows later in the same session.

It is a fitting way for Glasgow 2026 to begin. Para sport has been fully integrated into the Commonwealth Games programme since 2002, and Friday's opening medal session reflects its place at the heart of the Games.

The session will also highlight the Commonwealth Sport Foundation's GAPS programme, which removes barriers to sport participation for athletes with disabilities. Three GAPS athletes will compete in the men's lightweight event: Cameroon's Manga Belinga, Kenya's Jeremiah Ngungi Maringa and Solomon Islands' Moffet Tolomae.

Belinga is one of the pioneers of Cameroonian Para Powerlifting, while Maringa has competed on the World Cup circuit as part of Kenya's growing presence in the sport. Tolomae is one of the most versatile Para athletes at the Games, having won Pacific Games medals in both Para Archery and wheelchair racing before turning his attention to Powerlifting.

Malaysia's Bonnie Bunyau Gustin begins the defence of his men's lightweight title, while India's Sudhir returns to Commonwealth competition.

The women's competition is headlined by Nigeria's Folashade Oluwafemiayo, who is the reigning Commonwealth, world and Paralympic champion.

Alice Folashade Oluwafemiayo of Team Nigeria celebrates after breaking a world record during the Women's Para Powerlifting Heavyweight Final in Birmingham

A boxer inspired by service

India's Preeti Pawar arrives in Glasgow as one of the brightest young talents in Commonwealth boxing.

The World Cup champion begins her campaign in the women's bantamweight division, but her story extends beyond the ring. Alongside her boxing career, Pawar became the first woman athlete to be directly inducted into the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer, with the rank of Naib Subedar.

Can Lesotho end a 20-year wait?

Not every story on the opening day is about winning gold.

For Lesotho, simply returning to the podium would represent a major achievement. Mathealira Seholoholo begins his campaign hoping to end the nation's 20-year Commonwealth boxing medal drought.

Celebrations during the King's Batten Ralley in Lesotho

Photography Glasgow 2026

New chapters in 3x3 Basketball

The expanded 3x3 Basketball competition gets underway on Friday, with several nations making their Commonwealth debut in the discipline.

The opening session includes a first-time meeting between Nigeria and the Cayman Islands in the men's competition, while Fiji face the Cayman Islands in the women's event as both nations make their 3x3 Basketball Commonwealth debut. Hosts Scotland also begin their campaign against first-timers Guyana, while Uganda and Jamaica meet in a women's contest between two debutants.

The expansion from eight to 12 teams per gender has opened the door for more nations to compete on one of the Commonwealth's biggest sporting stage.

Milestones beyond the medal table

New Zealand gymnast Misha Koudinov competes at his sixth Commonwealth Games, becoming one of only a handful of athletes from his country to reach that milestone.

In the pool, Jersey's Filip Nowacki is chasing the island's first Commonwealth Games medal since 1990, which would also be its first ever in swimming. Seychelles' Nathan Nagapin, meanwhile, hopes to become his nation's first Commonwealth swimming medallist.

By the end of Friday, 14 gold medals will have been awarded. For some athletes, however, the biggest achievement will simply be reaching a stage that once seemed beyond their grasp.