Proud moment for India

Ahmedabad to host 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG)

● Ahmedabad has been officially awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games by the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow, United Kingdom with approval from delegates representing Commonwealth nations.

● The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

● It will be the first major multi-sport event since the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. It marks the 100th anniversary (centenary) of the first CWG which was held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.

● The 2030 Commonwealth Games will feature 15 to 17 sports including athletics, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, artistic gymnastics, netball, boxing and para-sports, with other sports like archery, badminton, cricket, hockey and wrestling are under consideration.

● The President of Commonwealth Sport Dr. Donald Rukare praised India’s scale, youth, ambition, culture and sporting passion.

● Ahmedabad has upgraded its sports infrastructure significantly over the last decade, including world class venues like the Narendra Modi Stadium and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave.

● Ahmedabad won after the Commonwealth Sport Evaluation Committee assessed candidate cities through a range of criterias including athlete experience, infrastructure, technical delivery, governance and alignment with Commonwealth values. Nigerian city Abuja was the runner up.

● India’s best performance at the Commonwealth Games was in 2010 when New Delhi hosted the event. India won a total of 101 medals.

● India first took part in the Commonwealth Games in 1934 held in London. Wrestler Rashid Anwar won India’s first ever medal at the Games, a bronze in wrestling. India’s first gold medal was won by Milkha Singh in athletics at the 1958 Cardiff, Wales.

About Commonwealth Games (CWG)

● CWG is the world’s 2nd largest multi-sport event (after Olympic Games) held every four years (quadrennial) among the Commonwealth countries (Commonwealth countries are a voluntary association of 56 independent nations including India, most of which were formally part of the British Empire).

● The first Commonwealth Games was held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. It is often referred to as the “Friendly Games”.

● The Commonwealth Games have been held every four years since their starting in 1930, except for the year 1942 and 1946 when they were canceled due to World War II.

● Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organization responsible for overseeing the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games. CGF’s headquarter is located at Commonwealth House in London, England.

● Nine different countries have hosted the Commonwealth Games till date: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales, Jamaica, India and Malaysia.

Note

● The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) submitted a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October 2024, expressing India’s desire to host the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad.

● This bid is expected to gain additional support as Ahmedabad has been selected to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, showcasing India’s growing capability in hosting major international sporting events.

● The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is managing the bid, which is currently in the “continuous dialogue” phase with the IOC. The decision to this effect is likely to be taken by the year 2028.

● If selected this would be the first time for India to host the Olympic Games.