Hockey, diving and cricket are among the sports being scrapped for the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Ice hockey, rugby sevens and diving are among the notable victims of the Commonwealth Games, which will be dropped from the reduced Glasgow program in 2026.

The Games, moved to Scotland following Victoria’s withdrawal as hosts, will feature just ten events, nine fewer than the previous edition in 2022 in Birmingham.

Other sports to skip include cricket, badminton, beach volleyball, mountain biking, rhythmic gymnastics, squash and table tennis.

Track and field and swimming were the only sports guaranteed a spot in the program. This also includes track cycling, weightlifting, 3×3 basketball and lawn bowling – all including para equivalent.

Netball, artistic gymnastics, judo and boxing round out the selected 10.

To save costs, the ten sports will be spread across just four venues: Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena and Scottish Event Campus.

Athletes and support staff will be accommodated in hotel accommodation and not in an athletes’ village.

The 2026 program will be officially released later on Wednesday.

The multi-sport event has been in jeopardy since the Victorian government pulled out of hosting it last year because costs were spiraling and the budget was said to have fallen to $6 billion.

Victoria paid $380 million in compensation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), with $200 million going to Scotland to cover hosting costs.

This amount will be topped up by $4.5 million by Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) to cover security, with neither the UK nor Scottish governments willing to use public money – although the former is said to be willing to cover any additional security costs take over.

“This is a fantastic result for the Commonwealth sporting movement,” CGA President Ben Houston said last month.

“The Commonwealth Games are at the heart of Australia’s performance development and are often the starting point for the continued success of Australian athletes.”

“They are irreplaceable in providing global competition and in the absence of an Australian host, it is in the interests of Australian sport that we make the overseas Games a reality.”