Ahmedabad will officially host the 2030 edition of the Commonwealth Games. Delegates of 74 member nations and territories ratified India's bid to host the marquee event at Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday.
The multi-discipline event returns to the country after two decades marking a significant chapter in India's progress in the field sports. India hosted the Commonwealth Games for the first time in Delhi in 2010. The decision further strengthens India's ambition to host the Olympics in 2036.
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"India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance...We start our next century for the Commonwealth Games in good health," Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport, was quoted as saying in an official statement.
The preparation to host the sporting extravaganza have already been going in full swing. The city is also in the race to host the Olympics and has upgraded its sports infrastructure on a war footing in the last one decade.
India faced competition from the Nigerian city of Abuja for the 2030 bid. The hosts were announced after an evaluation process of candidate cities, with both Ahmedabad and Abuja, Nigeria submitting bids. But as reported by PTI Commonwealth Sport decided to consider the African nation for the 2034 edition instead.
The 2030 Games will commemorate 100 years since the inaugural event in Hamilton, Canada. In fact the North American country was expected to be in the running but did not bid.
Meanwhile, Glasgow is hosting a pared-down version of the Games next year after the Australian state of Victoria, the original host, pulled out citing escalating costs. It will be a scaled down event with just 10 disciplines on its roster, leaving out sports like shooting, archery, hockey and badminton among others due to cost considerations.
"We are deeply honoured by the trust shown by Commonwealth Sport. The 2030 Games will not only celebrate a 100 years of the Commonwealth Movement but also lay the foundation for the next century," PT Usha, President of the Commonwealth Games Association of India and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), said. "It will bring together Athletes, communities, and cultures from across the Commonwealth in a spirit of friendship and progress," she added.
Commonwealth Sport also confirmed that 15 to 17 sports will feature at the 2030 Games. Athletics and Para Athletics, Swimming and Para Swimming, Table Tennis and Para Table Tennis, Bowls and Para Bowls, Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting, Artistic Gymnastics, Netball and Boxing are the confirmed disciplines.
In recent months, Ahmedabad hosted the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, the Asian Aquatics Championships and football's AFC Under-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. Next year, it would be hosting the Asian Weightlifting Championship, and Asia Para-Archery Cup.
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is one of the prime venues that is currently under development and apart from the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, which has a capacity of over one lakh, it is designed to house an aquatics centre and a football stadium along with two arenas for indoor sports. An athletes village that can house 3,000 is also set to be built inside this complex.
- with agencies inputs
