AHMEDABAD HAS BEEN formally ratified as the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030.
India last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010, in New Delhi.
The decision confirms that the world’s most populous nation will stage the landmark edition of the Games, after delegates of the 74 Commonwealth member nations and territories ratified India’s bid at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow.
Per an official release, India’s vision for the 2030 Games, centred in Ahmedabad, “will build on foundations laid by Glasgow 2026, enabling India to celebrate the centenary in style”.
Australia topped the medal table at the most recent Games, staged in Birmingham, England, in 2022, with the rest of the top five made up of England, Canada, India and New Zealand.
Ahmedabad had been recommended in October after an evaluation of the candidate cities. Abuja, Nigeria, was the other bidder. However, it was the Indian city that the 74-member General Assembly approved, sealing India’s bid and paving the way for the multi-sport event to return to the country after two decades. The African nation has been decided as the host for the 2034 edition.
“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 Commonwealth Sport president Dr Donald Rukare.
The decision holds significant importance for India and Ahmedabad, which is bidding to host the 2036 Olympics.
Hindustan Times reports that over the last few months, the city has staged 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. In 2029, the World Police and Fire Games will be held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Ekta Nagar.
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, one of the key venues under development, will feature the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, which has a capacity of over one lakh, alongside a new aquatics centre, a football stadium, and two indoor sports arenas. The complex will also include an athletes’ village capable of accommodating 3,000 participants.
Commonwealth Sport president Dr Donald Rukare said: “This is the start of a new golden era for Commonwealth Sport. After a ‘Games reset’ we head to Glasgow 2026 in fantastic shape to welcome the 74 teams of the Commonwealth before setting our sights on Amdavad 2030 for a special Centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games.
“India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance, and I’m delighted to report strong interest from a range of nations to host the 2034 Games and beyond. We start our next century for the Commonwealth Games in good health.”
Commonwealth Games Association of India president PT Usha added: “We are deeply honoured by the trust shown by Commonwealth Sport. The 2030 Games will not only celebrate a hundred years of the Commonwealth Movement but also lay the foundation for the next century. It will bring together Athletes, communities, and cultures from across the Commonwealth in a spirit of friendship and progress.”
The Sports Programme
In addition to confirming the hosts for 2030, Commonwealth Sport also confirmed that 15–17 sports will feature at Ahmedabad 2030.
The Ahmedabad 2030 team will work closely with Commonwealth Sport and the International Federation community to shape a sport programme “with strong local resonance and global appeal”.
This will follow Commonwealth Sport’s recently concluded Sport Programme Review which outlines the sports which will feature at the Commonwealth 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.
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.
