Ahmedabad is confirmed to host the 2030 Centenary Commonwealth Games, a move hailed by ICC chairman Jay Shah as a landmark moment. The decision underscores India’s commitment to enhancing its sporting infrastructure and athletic excellence.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah expressed happiness with India getting the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, saying that the moment underscores “the nation’s commitment to strengthening its sporting ecosystem, enhancing infrastructure, and creating long-term pathways for athletic excellence”.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) confirmed the awarding of 2030 CWG hosting rights to Ahmedabad, India, by Commonwealth Sport, with the competition marking 100 years of the Commonwealth Movement. Taking to X, Jay wrote, “Proud moment for India as Ahmedabad is confirmed as the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030. This landmark moment underscores the nation’s commitment to strengthening its sporting ecosystem, enhancing infrastructure, and creating long-term pathways for athletic excellence. A proud step forward for India on the global stage. https://x.com/JayShah/status/1993725642484195658
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 today’s Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow. India presented a compelling vision for the 2030 Games, centred in the Gujarat city of Amdavad (Ahmedabad), which will build on foundations laid by Glasgow 2026, enabling India to celebrate the centenary in style.
After Ahmedabad was announced as hosts of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, 20 Garba dancers and 30 Indian dhol drummers burst into the General Assembly Hall, surprising delegates with a rich cultural performance that provided a taste of the heritage and pride that Athletes and fans can expect from a Games hosted in the Indian state of Gujarat. Garba is a dance that originated in Gujarat, and the performance featured members of Glasgow’s Indian community, and those from other parts of the Commonwealth, in a show of both diversity and unity across the movement to start the journey from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to the Centenary edition.
The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. 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.
Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport, 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,” he added.
Dr PT Usha, President of the Commonwealth Games Association of India, said, “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 Amdavad 2030. 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.
Confirmed and Potential Sports
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, T20 Cricket, Cycling, Diving, Hockey, Judo, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens, Shooting, Squash, Triathlon, Para Triathlon and Wrestling.
The host can also propose up to two new or traditional sports. (ANI)
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