Ahmedabad to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games, Big Step Towards 2036 Olympics Dream

India is all set to welcome the world once again for the Commonwealth Games. Ahmedabad has been recommended as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games by the executive board of Commonwealth Sport. This announcement came on Wednesday during their meeting and will now go to the full Commonwealth Sport membership for final approval at the General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26, 2025. For Ahmedabad and India, this is not just about hosting a sporting event. This decision brings India closer to its bigger dream of hosting the 2036 Olympics.​

The journey back to hosting the Commonwealth Games has been long for India. The last time India hosted the Commonwealth Games was in 2010 in Delhi. However, that event was filled with problems. There were delays in building the venues, poor planning, and serious allegations of corruption that put a dark cloud over the entire Games. Now, with Ahmedabad getting the opportunity to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, India wants to show the world that it has learned from past mistakes and is ready to host world-class sporting events.​

Why Ahmedabad Won the Bid

Ahmedabad was competing with Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. These were the only two cities that showed interest in hosting the event. The Commonwealth Games has been struggling to find host cities in recent years. The 2022 edition was supposed to happen in Durban, South Africa, but they pulled out because of money problems. Birmingham had to step in as a replacement host at the last minute. Similarly, the 2026 Commonwealth Games was planned for Victoria in Australia, but they also withdrew. Glasgow had to rescue the event again.​

Ahmedabad’s World-Class Infrastructure

One of the main reasons Ahmedabad was recommended for the 2030 Commonwealth Games is its rapidly developing sports infrastructure. The city has been building state-of-the-art facilities to support India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics.​

The Naranpura Sports Complex, also known as the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, is one of the key venues for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. This complex was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in September 2025 and was built at a cost of Rs 825 crore. The Veer Savarkar Sports Complex is the largest sports complex in India and among the most modern in the world. It spreads over 21 acres with a built-up area of 1.18 lakh square metres.​

If Ahmedabad hosts the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the master plan must prioritize footpaths, traffic management and cleanliness. Enhance public transport with AMTS route rationalization, increased BRTS capacity and expanded metro routes for a world-class experience! 🚇 #Abad2030 pic.twitter.com/QqWf4y2cdi

— Karnavati_speaks 🚇🚍🚲 (@KarnavatiSpeaks) October 16, 2025

The Naranpura Sports Complex features a world-class aquatic complex with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, state-of-the-art facilities for indoor and outdoor sports, training and residential amenities for athletes, and facilities that can host seven Olympic events. The complex has 16 badminton courts, four basketball courts, parking for 900 vehicles, a 275-kilowatt solar power plant, and a sewage treatment plant. This eco-friendly complex was designed with sustainability in mind.​

Another major venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games will be the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave. This is an ambitious project spread across 236 acres with a construction area of 9.3 million square feet. The total construction cost is estimated at Rs 6,000 crore. The enclave will include some of the biggest sports venues in the country including the Narendra Modi Stadium, which is the world’s largest stadium with a seating capacity of 132,000. This stadium hosted the Cricket World Cup final in 2023.​

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave will also have a football stadium with 50,000 seats, a multipurpose indoor arena with 18,000 seating capacity, a volleyball indoor arena with 10,000 seats, an aquatics center with 12,000 spectator capacity, a tennis stadium with 10,000 seats, and several other sports venues. All these venues are being designed to meet Olympic standards. The enclave will also house a residential village for athletes, hotels, and commercial spaces.​

The project is being led by the Gujarat Olympic Planning and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd and the Sports Authority of Gujarat. By 2028, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave will be powered entirely by renewable energy, with 30 megawatts of renewable energy planned every day. This makes it one of the largest green-energy-powered sports complexes in the world.​

Connection to India’s 2036 Olympics Bid

The decision to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad is closely linked to India’s ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympics. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is overseeing India’s 2036 Olympics bid, called the 2030 Commonwealth Games decision a “day of immense joy and pride for India.” He said that by creating world-class infrastructure and raising a pool of sports talent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made India a strong sports destination.​

India officially submitted a letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission on October 1, 2024. If India’s bid is approved, it would be the first time India will host the Olympic Games. The Indian government has been preparing for this by planning to host several major sporting events to gain hosting experience. These include the 2027 women’s volleyball world championship, the 2028 World U20 Athletics Championships, and now the 2030 Commonwealth Games.​

In 2025, Ahmedabad hosted the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship and the Asian Swimming Championship at the newly-inaugurated Naranpura Sports Complex. These events helped the city gain experience in hosting international competitions.​

The timing of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is important for India’s Olympics bid. An IOA official believes the host for the 2036 Olympics will be declared before the 2030 Commonwealth Games begins. However, by building world-class facilities in a timely and transparent manner in the years leading up to 2030, India can show the international community that it is ready to host the Olympics.​

Interestingly, Ahmedabad’s main competitor for the 2036 Olympics bid is Doha, which will host the Asian Games in 2030. Doha was elected to host the 2030 Asian Games at the 39th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly in December 2020. The Qatari capital received 27 votes compared to 10 votes for Riyadh. Doha had previously hosted the Asian Games in 2006 and will use much of the infrastructure built for that event and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.​

Support from Government and Sports Leaders

The recommendation of Ahmedabad for the 2030 Commonwealth Games has received strong support from government leaders and sports officials across India. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called it “a huge moment for Indian sports.” He said this decision reflects India’s growing role in global sports, made possible by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.​

P.T. Usha, president of the Indian Olympic Association, said the Games would not only show India’s world-class sporting and event capabilities but also play a meaningful role in India’s national journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. “We see the 2030 Games as a powerful opportunity to inspire our youth, strengthen international partnerships and contribute to a shared future across the Commonwealth,” she said.​

Union Home Minister Amit Shahhighlighted that the sports budget in India has grown significantly over the last decade. The central sports budget was Rs 1,643 crore in 2014-15, and it has now risen to Rs 5,300 crore. This nearly threefold increase reflects the government’s commitment to developing sports infrastructure and supporting athletes.​

India’s Performance at Commonwealth Games

India has a strong record at the Commonwealth Games. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, India finished fourth on the medal table with 61 medals, including 22 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze medals. This was a strong performance that showed India’s sporting strength across multiple disciplines.​

Wrestling was India’s most successful sport at Birmingham 2022, with 12 medals including several golds. Badminton, table tennis, weightlifting, and boxing were other sports where Indian athletes won multiple medals. Sharath Kamal was India’s most successful player at the Games, winning four medals (three gold and one silver) in table tennis.​

India ended the Birmingham Games as the best nation in four sports: badminton, table tennis, wrestling, and weightlifting. The country finished second best in boxing. For the first time, India won medals in lawn bowls, with the women’s fours team winning gold and the men’s fours team winning silver.​

However, India’s medal tally is likely to drop significantly at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The organizers have dropped hockey, cricket, wrestling, badminton, and table tennis from the programme. These are sports where India regularly wins medals. Of the 210 Indian athletes who took part in Birmingham, 98 competed in sports that have now been axed for 2026. That’s about 47 percent of the entire contingent from 2022.​

Gujarat’s Growing Sports Infrastructure

Gujarat has been investing heavily in sports infrastructure in recent years. The state government has set up the Gujarat Sports Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd as the nodal agency for Olympic-related preparations. The agency is leading efforts to establish six new integrated sports complexes with an estimated investment of Rs 6,000 crore.​

The Sports Authority of Gujarat currently operates 30 sports complexes – 24 at the district level and six at the taluka level – across the state. An additional 31 complexes are in the pipeline across 13 districts and 18 talukas, including cities like Jamnagar, Amreli, Bharuch, and Surendranagar. These projects are expected to help create more medal-winning athletes through structured training, better coaching facilities, and competitive exposure.​

The Sports Authority of Gujarat also runs 20 residential sports hostels that accommodate and train around 4,000 sportspersons across multiple disciplines. These include athletics, volleyball, swimming, judo, football, wrestling, and table tennis. The facilities include synthetic tracks, high-performance gyms, hydrotherapy centres, sports psychology units, and multipurpose halls.​

Multi-City Plan for 2036 Olympics

While the 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held mainly in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, India’s plan for the 2036 Olympics involves multiple cities. In January 2025, a multi-city bid for India was proposed with events held in different cities across the country.​

According to the proposal, Ahmedabad will host aquatics, athletics, basketball, shooting, tennis, urban sports, volleyball, and the main Olympic Village. Bhubaneswar will host field hockey and football, Bhopal will host rowing, Mumbai will host cricket and football, Pune will host canoeing, Goa will host football and sailing, and the Taj Mahal in Agra will host archery.​

By hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and potentially the 2036 Olympics, India hopes to inspire a new generation of young people to take up sports. The visibility of these events and the success of Indian athletes on home soil can create excitement and interest in sports that will last for years.​

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