The Commonwealth Sport Executive Board announced on Wednesday, October 15 that it has officially recommended India's Ahmedabad as the host city for the Commonwealth Games 2030. The board will formally propose Ahmedabad to the full Commonwealth Sport membership for final approval at the General Assembly scheduled for November 26 in Glasgow.
Ahmedabad recommended as Host for 2030 Commonwealth Games
This recommendation follows a comprehensive evaluation process of all candidate cities. Both Ahmedabad, India, and Abuja, Nigeria, had submitted official bids to host the centenary event. The 2030 Games are set to commemorate 100 years since the inaugural event was held in Hamilton, Canada. While the North American country was widely expected to be in the running, it ultimately did not submit a bid.
India, which previously hosted the Games in Delhi in 2010, has pledged that a 2030 event in Ahmedabad would be a massive spectacle, reflecting the diversity and scale of the entire Commonwealth. The 2022 Games, for comparison, had to be moved to Birmingham after the South African city of Durban withdrew, citing financial issues. The Commonwealth Sport Executive Board also noted it would continue to work with Nigeria to help realize its ambition of hosting future Games, including potential consideration for the 2034 edition.
The successful bid recommendation for Ahmedabad is a much-needed boost for the multi-sport event, especially after widespread fears that the upcoming Glasgow 2026 Games might be the final edition. The Scottish city will host a pared-down version of the Games next year after the original host, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out, citing steeply escalating costs.
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"Today's recommendation is strategically important for the future of the Commonwealth Sport Movement. It builds on the platform that Glasgow 2026 will provide and sets a clear direction for the years ahead," Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Sport said in a statement as quoted by Reuters.
Meanwhile, Dr Donald Rukare, Interim President of Commonwealth Sport as quoted by Athletics Weekly, said:
"We are grateful to both India and Nigeria for the vision and commitment they have shown in developing proposals to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Both proposals were inspiring, reflecting the scale of opportunity within our Commonwealth family.
"The Executive Board has carefully considered the Evaluation Committee’s findings and is recommending Ahmedabad to our membership. This is a significant milestone for the movement as we look to our Centenary Games. We now look ahead to the General Assembly in Glasgow where our members will make the final decision."
"The Board were impressed with the vision and ambition of Nigeria’s proposal and were united in our commitment to continue working with their team to explore future hosting opportunities. This decision reflects our determination to take the Commonwealth Games to the African continent," Rukare added.