Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India’s medal winners from the 2026 Commonwealth Games at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday (Aug 9) and congratulated them for their impressive performances in Glasgow. After the meeting, PM Modi posted a video of the interaction on X with the caption, “Always #Cheer4Bharat.”&nbsp;The video showed Commonwealth Games gold medallist boxer Sakshi Chaudhary along with other members of India’s medal-winning contingent.&nbsp;“Hello friends! This is Sakshi Chaudhary. Today, our honourable Prime Minister has invited us, the Commonwealth Games medalists, and we feel very proud. We are extremely happy to have met him; he is very humble. Sir, would you like to say something?” Sakshi said in the video.&nbsp;Replying to her, PM Modi said, “Jo khelega, woh khilega” (Those who play, will flourish). Always cheer for Bharat.&nbsp;PM Modi then led the athletes in chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” (Victory to mother India) three times.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">After meeting the Indian contingent and medal winners of the Commonwealth Games 2026 at his official residence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends out a message in fresh video with the athletes, &quot;Jo Khelega, Vo Khilega&quot; (The one who plays will shine), Always Cheer for Bharat.&quot;… <a href="https://t.co/XTC0qX2Atn">pic.twitter.com/XTC0qX2Atn</a>&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://x.com/PTI_News/status/2086444784789639398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/17-year-old-assam-karate-champion-wins-gold-weeks-after-floods-destroy-home-training-ground-1786281464365">17-year-old Assam Karate champion wins gold weeks after floods destroy home, training ground</a>&nbsp;India finished its Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, securing fourth place in the overall medal table.&nbsp;The Glasgow Games ended after 11 days of competition. During the closing ceremony, Scotland officially handed over the Commonwealth Games flag and ceremonial baton to India, which will host the centenary edition of the multi-sport event in Ahmedabad in 2030.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-a-rehab-centre-vvs-laxman-defends-bcci-coe-amid-injury-concerns-1786274226587">‘Not a rehab centre’: VVS Laxman defends BCCI CoE amid injury concerns</a>&nbsp;The flag and baton were received by India’s representatives, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India’s Commonwealth Games medallists in New Delhi and congratulated them on their performances, with India finishing fourth in the medal table with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India’s medal winners from the 2026 Commonwealth Games at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday (Aug 9) and congratulated them for their impressive performances in Glasgow. After the meeting, PM Modi posted a video of the interaction on X with the caption, “Always #Cheer4Bharat.” The video showed Commonwealth Games gold medallist boxer Sakshi Chaudhary along with other members of India’s medal-winning contingent. “Hello friends! This is Sakshi Chaudhary. Today, our honourable Prime Minister has invited us, the Commonwealth Games medalists, and we feel very proud. We are extremely happy to have met him; he is very humble. Sir, would you like to say something?” Sakshi said in the video. Replying to her, PM Modi said, “Jo khelega, woh khilega” (Those who play, will flourish). Always cheer for Bharat. PM Modi then led the athletes in chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” (Victory to mother India) three times.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India’s Commonwealth Games medallists in New Delhi and congratulated them on their performances, with India finishing fourth in the medal table with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.

‘Those who play, will flourish’: PM Modi interacts with India’s CWG medallists

Australia's Victoria state will pay A$380 million ($243 million) to Commonwealth Games organisers, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday, after it withdrew as 2026 event host citing a projected cost blowout.

In July, Victoria pulled out of hosting the quadrennial multi-sport event, which was to have been held in four regional hubs, with Andrews saying costs could have ballooned to more than A$7 billion from a budgeted A$2.6 billion.

The decision has raised the possibility that the Games may not take place for the first time since being cancelled due to the Second World War.

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In a joint statement issued by Andrews on Saturday, the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships, Commonwealth Games Australia and Victoria said they had "settled all their disputes regarding the cancellation of the multi-hub regional Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games".

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"The State of Victoria has agreed to pay the Commonwealth Games parties ... AUD $380 million," the statement said.

"The parties also agreed that the multi-hub regional model was more expensive to host than the traditional models."

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The payout comes after another blow was dealt to the long-running event when Canada's Alberta province earlier this month withdrew its support for the 2030 Games&nbsp;bid.

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Australia's Victoria state will pay A$380 million ($243 million) to Commonwealth Games organisers, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday, after it withdrew as 2026 event host citing a projected cost blowout.

Australia's Victoria state will pay A$380 million ($243 million) to Commonwealth Games organisers, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday, after it withdrew as 2026 event host citing a projected cost blowout. In July, Victoria pulled out of hosting the quadrennial multi-sport event, which was to have been held in four regional hubs, with Andrews saying costs could have ballooned to more than A$7 billion from a budgeted A$2.6 billion. The decision has raised the possibility that the Games may not take place for the first time since being cancelled due to the Second World War. Also Read | Brazil: Bolsonaro's legal troubles mount as SC Justice authorises probe into his finances In a joint statement issued by Andrews on Saturday, the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships, Commonwealth Games Australia and Victoria said they had "settled all their disputes regarding the cancellation of the multi-hub regional Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games". Also Read | Niger's new Prime Minister says no harm will come to captive President Mohamed Bazoum "The State of Victoria has agreed to pay the Commonwealth Games parties ... AUD $380 million," the statement said. "The parties also agreed that the multi-hub regional model was more expensive to host than the traditional models." Watch | Has China's growth story hit a roadblock? × The payout comes after another blow was dealt to the long-running event when Canada's Alberta province earlier this month withdrew its support for the 2030 Games bid. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Australian state to pay $243 million for withdrawing as 2026 Commonwealth Games host

The Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday citing major cost blow-outs, leaving organisers "hugely disappointed" and scrambling to keep the multi-sport event alive. State Premier Daniel Andrews said the initial estimate of Aus$2 billion (US$1.36 billion) needed to hold the Games would more likely be around Aus$7 billion, which he called "well and truly too much".

"I've made a lot of difficult calls, a lot of very difficult decisions in this job. This is not one of them. Frankly, $7 billion for a sporting event, we are not doing that," he said at a news conference in Melbourne. "I will not take money out of hospitals and schools to host an event that is three times the cost estimated and budgeted for last year.

"The Games will not proceed in Victoria in 2026. We have informed Commonwealth Games authorities of our decision to seek to terminate the contract."

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The decision to pull the pin throws a question mark over not just the 2026 event but the concept as a whole, analysts said, with fewer countries showing interest in recent times to take on a spectacle seen as losing its relevance.

The last Games in 2022 were held in Birmingham, but only after the English city stepped in to replace Durban in South Africa, which was stripped of hosting rights after a series of missed deadlines and financial problems.

The Commonwealth Games Federation insisted it remained "committed to finding a solution for the Games in 2026".

The event typically attracts more than 4,000 athletes from the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, almost all of them former territories of the British Empire.

The 2026 version -- featuring 20 sports and 26 disciplines -- was due to be held across five regional hubs, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland and Shepparton, with each having its own athletes' village.

Andrews said his team had looked at cutting the number of hubs or even moving the Games to the Victoria state capital Melbourne but "none of those options stack up".

<h2>- 'Gross exaggeration' -</h2>

He refused to say how much it cost to terminate the agreement but insisted talks with the Commonwealth Games Federation were amicable.

However, the London-based Federation blasted the move as "hugely disappointing".

"We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours' notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the government," it said in a statement.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lamented a "disappointing outcome for both fans and athletes", but said talk of Britain stepping in to stage the event was "getting slightly ahead of ourselves".

"We hope that the Victoria state government, the Games federation and Commonwealth Games Australia will now work together to find a viable solution to hosting the event in 2026," the spokesman said.

Pressed on the possibility of a British bid, he added: "Obviously the UK has been honoured to host the Games twice in the past decade (Birmingham 2022 and Glasgow 2014) so we will see what comes out of those initial discussions."

CGF chief executive Katie Sadlier told Britain's Press Association: "The UK are fantastic hosts and we would be very open to having a conversation with them about it, if that's something they would be interested in doing."

Victoria was only awarded the contract 14 months ago as the exclusive bidder, with the Federation claiming the state had decided to include more sports, added an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues.

These additional costs were "often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia", it said, adding that it had received assurances that "sufficient funding was available to deliver the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games".

Commonwealth Games Australia president Ben Houston was equally scathing, claiming the new cost estimates were a "gross exaggeration".

But Tom Heenan, a lecturer in sport and Australian studies at Monash University, said it showed that hosting mega-events like the Commonwealth Games was not worth it.

"This venture was flawed from the start," he said. "Situating the Games in regional centres highlighted their declining global importance."

The Australian city of Brisbane in the state of Queensland will host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

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The Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday citing major cost blow-outs, leaving organisers "hugely disappointed" and scrambling to keep the multi-sport event alive.

The Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday citing major cost blow-outs, leaving organisers "hugely disappointed" and scrambling to keep the multi-sport event alive. State Premier Daniel Andrews said the initial estimate of Aus$2 billion (US$1.36 billion) needed to hold the Games would more likely be around Aus$7 billion, which he called "well and truly too much". "I've made a lot of difficult calls, a lot of very difficult decisions in this job. This is not one of them. Frankly, $7 billion for a sporting event, we are not doing that," he said at a news conference in Melbourne. "I will not take money out of hospitals and schools to host an event that is three times the cost estimated and budgeted for last year. "The Games will not proceed in Victoria in 2026. We have informed Commonwealth Games authorities of our decision to seek to terminate the contract." ALSO READ: Explained: Why James Anderson is a bowler's paradise in a batter's world The decision to pull the pin throws a question mark over not just the 2026 event but the concept as a whole, analysts said, with fewer countries showing interest in recent times to take on a spectacle seen as losing its relevance. The last Games in 2022 were held in Birmingham, but only after the English city stepped in to replace Durban in South Africa, which was stripped of hosting rights after a series of missed deadlines and financial problems. The Commonwealth Games Federation insisted it remained "committed to finding a solution for the Games in 2026". The event typically attracts more than 4,000 athletes from the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, almost all of them former territories of the British Empire. The 2026 version -- featuring 20 sports and 26 disciplines -- was due to be held across five regional hubs, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland and Shepparton, with each having its own athletes' village. Andrews said his team had looked at cutting the number of hubs or even moving the Games to the Victoria state capital Melbourne but "none of those options stack up". - 'Gross exaggeration' - He refused to say how much it cost to terminate the agreement but insisted talks with the Commonwealth Games Federation were amicable. However, the London-based Federation blasted the move as "hugely disappointing". "We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours' notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the government," it said in a statement. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lamented a "disappointing outcome for both fans and athletes", but said talk of Britain stepping in to stage the event was "getting slightly ahead of ourselves". "We hope that the Victoria state government, the Games federation and Commonwealth Games Australia will now work together to find a viable solution to hosting the event in 2026," the spokesman said. Pressed on the possibility of a British bid, he added: "Obviously the UK has been honoured to host the Games twice in the past decade (Birmingham 2022 and Glasgow 2014) so we will see what comes out of those initial discussions." CGF chief executive Katie Sadlier told Britain's Press Association: "The UK are fantastic hosts and we would be very open to having a conversation with them about it, if that's something they would be interested in doing." Victoria was only awarded the contract 14 months ago as the exclusive bidder, with the Federation claiming the state had decided to include more sports, added an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues. These additional costs were "often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia", it said, adding that it had received assurances that "sufficient funding was available to deliver the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games". Commonwealth Games Australia president Ben Houston was equally scathing, claiming the new cost estimates were a "gross exaggeration". But Tom Heenan, a lecturer in sport and Australian studies at Monash University, said it showed that hosting mega-events like the Commonwealth Games was not worth it. "This venture was flawed from the start," he said. "Situating the Games in regional centres highlighted their declining global importance." The Australian city of Brisbane in the state of Queensland will host the 2032 Summer Olympics. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Commonwealth Games in limbo as Australian state Victoria pulls out as 2026 host