Commonwealth Games

Friday, July 24, 2026, at 10:07 pm

Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney are defending champions until 2030.

Many athletes are at home, wishing they could compete in the Games.

In 2026, the Commonwealth Games removed several sports, including badminton and diving.

Diving has been part of the Games since 1930.

Anabelle Smith competed in four Commonwealth Games, including Glasgow 2014.

Twelve years ago, she won a bronze medal with Maddison Keeney.

This photo of Smith and Keeney is from Glasgow 2014.

The diving event was held in Edinburgh, not Glasgow, in 2014.

The divers were disappointed but understood the decision.

It made sense to hold the event in Edinburgh, but it was still disappointing.

Anabelle Smith is attending the Games as a spectator and part of the Australian team.

The road to Glasgow 2026 has been bumpy, and the Games will look different.

Other athletes, like Chris McHugh and Melissa Tapper, have also had their sports removed.

Melissa Tapper's sport, table tennis, was removed after being included in six straight Games.

Tapper embodies the inclusive nature of the Games, having competed in Olympics and Paralympics.

She won medals in Glasgow 2014 and the Gold Coast in 2018.

Tapper is still playing table tennis in the team lounge at the Glasgow Argyle Hotel.

She has a table tennis table in the lounge and is playing with other athletes.

Even though table tennis is not officially part of the Games, it is still present.

Table tennis was a core sport and could have been held in existing halls.

Melissa Tapper has represented Australia in several international competitions.

Field hockey requires more space and specific facilities, unlike table tennis.

Hockey has a long history in the Commonwealth Games, but it was removed in 2026.

The International Hockey Federation lobbied for the sport's inclusion, but it was not successful.

The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos have won many gold medals in the Commonwealth Games.

Eddie Ockenden carried the flag in the Birmingham 2022 opening ceremony.

Hockey Australia was disappointed to miss out on the 2026 Games.

The Commonwealth Games provide a unique environment for athletes to compete and inspire.

The Games have been an opportunity for hockey players to inspire the next generation.

Hockey Australia is focusing on the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.

The World Cup will be played in Belgium and the Netherlands in August.

The ABC is covering the Commonwealth Games.

See more ABC coverage of the Games.

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