Two Tokyo Olympic medallists walked out under the same tricolour this week, one carrying the flag and the other carrying the ceremonial baton, and together they gave India’s Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow its opening statement before a single match had even started. Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain were named India’s flag-bearers for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and on July 23 they led the country’s 126-member contingent into the OVO Hydro for an opening ceremony unlike any the Games have held before.

A Historic Announcement in New Delhi

The Indian Olympic Association confirmed the decision on July 18, with IOA President PT Usha calling it a matter of pride for the country. Mirabai was handed the honour of carrying the Indian flag during the athletes’ parade, while Lovlina carried the ceremonial King’s Baton, part of a new format in which each of the 74 competing Commonwealth nations and territories received a baton customised to reflect its own culture and identity, all of which were reunited on stage before the Games were officially declared open.

This was not the first time either athlete had been in contention for the role. Both Mirabai and Lovlina were considered for flag-bearer duty ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Games before the honour eventually went to badminton star PV Sindhu. Getting the nod this time around feels less like a consolation and more like recognition of two athletes who have simply kept delivering, tournament after tournament, since Tokyo.

Mirabai Chanu: Manipur’s Iron Woman Chasing Glasgow Gold

Mirabai Chanu, who hails from Nongpok Kakching in Manipur’s Imphal East district, arrives in Glasgow as one of India’s most consistent medal prospects across three Commonwealth Games cycles. She won gold in weightlifting at Gold Coast in 2018 and repeated the feat at Birmingham in 2022, making her a two-time Commonwealth champion before this tournament even began. Her Tokyo 2020 silver medal in the 49kg category also made her only the second Indian weightlifter ever to win an Olympic medal, a landmark that still defines how the sport is talked about back home.

The Road From Tokyo Silver to a Third Commonwealth Games

Mirabai’s Paris 2024 campaign did not go the way she wanted, and she left without a medal, but by all accounts she has rebuilt her form heading into Glasgow. She turns 32 on August 8, right in the middle of the Games, and competes this time in the 48kg division. For a weightlifter who has already carried the weight of a nation’s expectations through two Olympic cycles, being handed the flag itself feels almost like a fitting bookend to everything she has already lifted.

Lovlina Borgohain: Assam’s Boxing Star Hunting Her First CWG Medal

Lovlina Borgohain’s story carries a different kind of tension into these Games. The boxer from Golaghat district in Assam won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and followed it with a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships, alongside earlier bronze medals at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships. What is missing from that list is a Commonwealth Games medal. She returned empty-handed from both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022, so Glasgow represents her third attempt at closing that particular gap in an otherwise decorated career.

Carrying the baton alongside Mirabai’s flag puts Lovlina in an interesting position. She is walking out as one of the faces of the entire Indian delegation while still chasing a personal milestone that has eluded her twice before. It is a bit like a veteran striker leading the team out as captain while still hunting his first goal of the tournament, the responsibility and the personal ambition running on parallel tracks.

A New Flag-Bearer Format for Glasgow 2026

Glasgow 2026 also marks a structural change from recent Commonwealth Games. In Birmingham 2022, each nation sent two flag-bearers, one male and one female, into the arena. Glasgow moved to a single flag-bearer plus a separate baton-bearer for every nation and territory, which is why Mirabai and Lovlina were announced as a pair with two distinct roles rather than as joint flag-bearers in the traditional sense.

A few other details from the build-up are worth noting for anyone following India’s campaign closely:

• India’s contingent wore dark blue blazers and trousers as its official ceremonial kit, a design described as contemporary with traditional Indian elements woven in.
• Javelin legend Neeraj Chopra and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar are also part of the wider Indian squad heading into competition.
• The Parade of Nations opened with Botswana, before athletes moved through Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Caribbean, Oceania and Europe in sequence.

The Opening Ceremony at the OVO Hydro

The opening ceremony itself, held on July 23 at the OVO Hydro Arena, was the first indoor opening ceremony in Commonwealth Games history. It leaned heavily into Scottish identity, blending music, folklore and popular culture as athletes from all 74 participating nations and territories filed in. For a Games that has faced its share of scaling-down conversations in recent editions, staging the ceremony indoors gave it a more intimate, concentrated atmosphere than the usual outdoor stadium spectacle.

Watching Mirabai and Lovlina walk out first for India, ahead of a contingent that includes reigning Olympic champions and rising stars alike, set the tone for how the country wants this campaign framed. Not as an afterthought sandwiched between the Olympics and the Asian Games, but as a tournament India intends to take seriously from the very first evening.

What This Means for India’s 126-Member Contingent

Choosing an Olympic silver medallist and an Olympic bronze medallist as flag-bearer and baton-bearer sends a fairly direct message about where India believes its medal strength lies this time around. Weightlifting and boxing have both been productive disciplines for the country across recent multi-sport Games, and putting Mirabai and Lovlina front and centre puts extra attention on both events from day one.

There is also a symbolic weight to where both athletes come from. Mirabai represents Manipur and Lovlina represents Assam, and having two athletes from the northeast lead the entire Indian delegation onto the world stage has been noted widely back home as a moment of regional pride, not just individual achievement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are India’s flag-bearers at the 2026 Commonwealth Games?

Mirabai Chanu carried the Indian flag and Lovlina Borgohain carried the ceremonial baton during the athletes’ parade at the Glasgow 2026 opening ceremony.

When and where was the Commonwealth Games 2026 opening ceremony held?

The opening ceremony took place on July 23, 2026, at the OVO Hydro Arena in Glasgow, marking the first indoor opening ceremony in Commonwealth Games history.

How is the Glasgow 2026 flag-bearer format different from Birmingham 2022?

Birmingham 2022 featured two flag-bearers per nation, one male and one female. Glasgow 2026 switched to a single flag-bearer and a separate baton-bearer for each of the 74 participating nations and territories.

Has Lovlina Borgohain won a Commonwealth Games medal before?

No. Lovlina returned without a medal from both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022, making Glasgow 2026 her third attempt at a first Commonwealth Games podium finish.