After Olympics bid, India sets sights on hosting 2030 Commonwealth Games

Following the submission of a Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Olympics in October, India is reported to have initiated an “informal” conversation with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) regarding hosting the centenary edition in 2030 — two decades after the nation first hosted it.

However, in contrast to 2010, when New Delhi hosted the Games, Ahmedabad has now become the leading candidate, with Bhubaneswar also being considered, officials involved in the matter stated on Tuesday.

In the past week, CGF president Chris Jenkins and CEO Katie Sadlier visited several cities in India, engaging with state and central government ministers as well as senior officials in Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar, and New Delhi. They also visited possible locations in Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar. During the National Games opening ceremony in Dehradun, Jenkins met with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha to discuss the potential Indian bid. The IOA serves as the governing organization for the Commonwealth Games in India.

In a statement the CGF said: “CGF President Chris Jenkins was recently invited to attend the opening ceremony of the National Games in India, taking this opportunity to continue to strengthen ties between India, Commonwealth Games India, and Commonwealth Sport. The CGF recently put out the call for Expressions of Interest for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and beyond, and, during his visit to India, President Jenkins had some informal chats around this process.”

Last week, Jenkins was in Ahmedabad for three days, where he met with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, State Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and high-ranking government officials. In these gatherings, the state reaffirmed its goal to organize the 2036 Olympics and hold several world, Asian, and Commonwealth events leading up to it. Jenkins and Sadlier additionally toured the Narendra Modi Stadium, the upcoming Naranpura Sports Complex, and the EKA Arena. “They were definitely impressed, there’s no doubt about it.” “The organization for this event is at an Olympic level, so there were no worries regarding the venues,” an official stated.

Ahmedabad’s enthusiasm aligns with the state’s strategy to organize a series of global multidisciplinary events and significant continental, Commonwealth, and worldwide tournaments for gaining hosting experience. The 2030 CWG is the newest addition to the list that features the 2027 women’s volleyball world championship, the 2028 Asian swimming championship, the 2028 World U20 Athletics Championships, along with the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship, South Asian Games, World Beach Games, and World Military Games, among various others.

The interest from India arises at a moment when the CGF has secured limited hosts for its main event. In 2022, Durban was selected as the host, but the South African city subsequently withdrew, citing financial issues. Birmingham was subsequently designated as the new host.

In the same way, the Australian state of Victoria relinquished the hosting rights after successfully securing the bid for the 2026 CWG. Following a search across the Commonwealth, Glasgow emerged to save the Games. Nonetheless, in contrast to earlier editions, the Glasgow CWG will be limited to a 10-sport event with a strict limit on the athlete count to ensure affordability.