At Commonwealth Sport’s general assembly in Glasgow on Wednesday, the Indian city of Ahmedabad was officially granted hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, opening the door for the multi-sport event to return to the nation after 20 years.
The 74-member general assembly’s support of India’s proposal was merely a formality after the Executive Board of Commonwealth Sport last month suggested Ahmedabad as the venue for the centennial edition. The CWG was last held in Delhi, India, in 2010.
The Commonwealth Sport’s Evaluation Committee oversaw the process that led to the Executive Board’s proposal.
“India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance…We start our next century for the Commonwealth Games in good health,” said Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport.
Additionally, the ruling strengthened India’s aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics. In the past ten years, Ahmedabad, which is also vying to host the Olympics, has made significant improvements to its sports facilities.
The Nigerian city of Abuja was competing with India for the 2030 bid. However, Commonwealth Sport chose to take the African country into consideration for the 2034 edition.
India spent almost Rs 70,000 crore to host the 2010 Delhi Games, significantly more than the original budget of Rs 1600 crore. For a while now, the quadrennial event has struggled to find willing hosts and remain relevant.
“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 IOA, said.
“It will bring together Athletes, communities, and cultures from across the Commonwealth in a spirit of friendship and progress,” she added.
“The Amdavad 2030 team will work closely with Commonwealth Sport and the International Federation community to shape a dynamic and exciting sport programme with strong local resonance and global appeal,” the body stated.
Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting, Artistic Gymnastics, Netball, Boxing, Table Tennis and Para Table Tennis, Bowls and Para Bowls, Swimming and Para Swimming, and Athletics and Para Athletics are the recognized sports.
“The process to finalise the remainder of the programme will start next month, and the full Centenary Games line-up will be announced next year.
“The sports under consideration are: Archery, Badminton, 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cricket T20, Cycling, Diving, Hockey, Judo, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens, Shooting, Squash, Triathlon and Para Triathlon and Wrestling.
“The host can also propose up to two new or traditional sports,” it added.
The enlarged schedule adheres to the Indian Olympic Association’s pledge to hold a lavish Games. Due to financial constraints, the 2026 edition in Glasgow will only feature ten disciplines, excluding sports like badminton, hockey, shooting, and archery.
The Asian Aquatics Championships, the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, and the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers for football were all held in Ahmedabad in recent months.
It will host the Asia Para-Archery Cup and the Asian Weightlifting Championship the next year. Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Ekta Nagar will host the World Police and Fire Games in 2029.
In addition to the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, which has a capacity of over one lakh, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is one of the premier venues currently under construction. It is intended to house an aquatics center, a football stadium, and two arenas for indoor sports. Within this structure, a 3,000-person athletes’ village is also planned.
In 1930, Hamilton, Canada hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Games, which were formerly known as the British Empire Games.
