Commonwealth Games 2030 to be held in Ahmedabad: Here is how will this event will strengthen India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics

India is set to host 2030 Commonwealth Games in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. In a meeting held on 15^th October, the Commonwealth Executive Board recommended Ahmedabad’s name with a stamp of approval. India and Nigeria were competing to host the 2030 games. Now, it will be presented for formal approval at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly to be held in Glasgow in November 2025 and will be officially given the green light.

Regarding this development, Olympic Association India President P. T. Usha said , “It will be a matter of pride for India to host the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. These Games will not only showcase India’s world-class organising capabilities, but will also play a vital role in the journey towards a developed India 2047. We see the 2030 Commonwealth Games as a golden opportunity to inspire youth, strengthen international partnerships and contribute to the shared future of the Commonwealth countries.”

The discussion around the possibility of Ahmedabad being recommended for hosting the upcoming Commonwealth Games has going on for quite some time. Keeping this in mind, the central and state governments have been working together for many years to make Ahmedabad a hub of sports infrastructure.

Development of sports complex in Ahmedabad

As a part of the plan to make Ahmedabad ready for hosting international sporting events, the world’s largest cricket stadium, Narendra Modi Stadium, was built in Ahmedabad. Its capacity is more than one lakh spectators. In addition, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, of which this stadium is a part, is also being prepared in Ahmedabad, which is spread over 650 acres.

A total of 10 new stadiums will be built in this sports complex, which is currently under construction, where permanent and temporary facilities will be provided for sports like gymnastics, skateboarding, softball, tennis, etc. The construction work of all these stadiums is being handled by the government agency Gujarat Sports Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

A football stadium will also be set up in this enclave, and an athletes’ village and hotels will also be built. The village is said to have a capacity of three thousand players.

In addition, recently Home Minister Amit Shah also inaugurated the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, Ahmedabad. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, this sports complex will also provide venues for many sports. This complex has been designed in accordance with the standards of the Commonwealth Games. In which more than 20 sports will be covered. The government has spent ₹824 crore on this complex.

Apart from this, special emphasis is also being given on transportation facilities. Bullet train service between Ahmedabad-Mumbai will also be started by 2030. Apart from this, there are plans to build a large sports infrastructure in one lakh square meters on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway. Sabarmati Riverfront is also in the redevelopment phase, where infrastructure for various water sports will be set up.

How India is planning to bolster its Olympic bid

At the heart of all these preparations is the 2036 Olympics, which the government has expressed its desire to host in India. But before hosting a world-class sporting festival like the Olympics, some other events need to take place. That is why India has shown equal enthusiasm for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games will provide India with an opportunity to demonstrate to the sporting world that India has the world class capabilities to host such major sporting events and that there is no dearth of world-class infrastructure, political will, or sports ecosystem.

What makes India’s ongoing efforts even more significant is the dent on the country’s image caused during the UPA era during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.  The country’s image was badly damaged due to poor planning, allegations of financial irregularities and scams by the UPA government, and no such major event has been held in India since then.

Now that the new government is working to build a sports ecosystem and project India’s image to the world as a distinct, mature, and responsible nation, the Commonwealth and other international events will help in that.

Before the Commonwealth Games, the World Police and Fire Games will also be held in Ahmedabad in 2029. Law enforcement agencies from all over the world participate and tens of thousands of players come. Before that, the Women’s Volleyball World Championship will be held in 2027. The World U20 Athletics Championship is also being held in Ahmedabad in 2028. This year, the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship (which is a qualifying event for the Commonwealth) and the Asian Swimming Championship will also be held in Ahmedabad, which is being held at the newly built Naranpura Sports Complex. The regular hosting of such important sporting events will add to the experience required for a successful organisation of Commonwealth Games, and if all goes well, the Olympics too.

Given the track record of the Modi government in Centre and the BJP government in Gujarat, there is no possibility of any UPA-era like scandal in such big sports events from now on.

The Modi government has already proven how serious it is in all such matters with the successful and grand organization of the G20. In which leaders from all over the world came to India and a successful organization could be held. All these sports events in Ahmedabad will also be organized in the same way, with the same seriousness and with the same pre-planning, which will only raise India’s place in the world of sports.

There is also a possibility, however, that the host for the 2036 Olympics will be decided even before the Commonwealth Games are held in 2030. But even by then, these efforts of India, along with other sports events, will have been noticed worldwide. This could massively benefit India’s bid for the Olympics.