&#8216;David Beckham&#8217; set to compete in Commonwealth Games as cyclist for India

Jul 23, 2026 - 13:30

David Beckham at the Commonwealth Games? That’s right, he’s going to be there this summer.

No, not that David Beckham – this is the Indian track cyclist who will be representing his nation at the 2026 Games in Glasgow, which get underway on Thursday.

Australia's Thomas Cornish (in yellow and green), Trinidad and Tobago's Nicholas Paul (in red and white), New Zealand's Sam Webster (in black), India's David Beckham (in light blue and black), England's Hayden Norris (in white and red) and Jamaica's Malik Reid (in black, green and yellow) compete in the men's keirin first round cycling event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games — Beckham (third from right) previously rode for India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Originally from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, around 850 miles east of the Indian subcontinent, Beckham took up cycling in Delhi in 2017.

He competed at his first Commonwealth Games in 2022 in Birmingham, riding alongside another cyclist with a football-inspired name, Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh (who was actually named after Ronaldinho, not Ronaldo Nazario or Cristiano Ronaldo).

Explaining his instantly recognisable name, Beckham told Sportstar in 2020: “My family is a huge fan of David Beckham, so they named me after him.

“I also became a David Beckham fan. I used to play football … Then, my grandfather asked me to take up cycling.

“I started cycling in Delhi in 17. In the beginning, my feet didn’t touch the ground when I sat on the [saddle]. Eventually, I started doing well.

“It’s difficult to find facilities for cycling in Andaman, so I have to go to bigger cities for training.”

Beckham has overcome personal tragedy to develop into one of India’s most promising track cyclists.

In 2004, his father was killed in the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami.

Then, in 2014, he lost his mother to an infection.

But Beckham has kept on going, making history along the way.

India's David Beckham Elkatohchoongo — India’s David Beckham will compete in Glasgow at the 2026 games

A general view of the interior of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome track cycling venue in Glasgow — The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is the venue for track cycling at the 2026 Commonwealth Games

At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, he became the first Indian cyclist to reach the quarter-finals of a sprint event.

He also holds the national record in the flying 200m time trial at 9.671 seconds.

This year’s Commonwealth Games, the 23rd edition, run from July 23 to August 2.

Glasgow is hosting the Games for the second time having previously done so in 2014, stepping in after Victoria, Australia cancelled its planned staging of the event.

All 74 Commonwealth Games Associations are expected to compete, including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

And as a bigger summer of sport continues following the World Cup, you’ll be able to keep up with the action from Glasgow on talkSPORT, an official broadcast partner of the Commonwealth Games.

For the first time ever, the Commonwealth Games will not be shown on the BBC, after TNT Sports won the live TV rights.