Govt making all kinds of preparations to bring Olympics to Ahmedabad city in 2036, says Shah

“India has submitted its bid for the Commonwealth Games. In a very short time there is a full possibility of Ahmedabad hosting the Commonwealth Games. Also, in 2036, to bring the Olympics to Ahmedabad city, the Indian government is undertaking all kinds of preparations,” he said.

“In Ahmedabad, because of 13 different types of international sports events (being held) till 2036, the city will turn into a sports centre not only for Gujarat but for entire Asia, for which preparations are being made,” Shah stated in his address during the inauguration.

During the occasion, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, “Ahmedabad has become ready to host the Olympic games”. “ Ahmedabad has also become capable of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030,” he added.

The Veer Savarkar Sports Complex is set up on an area of 21 acres and a built up area of 1.18 lakh sq mt. The complex is divided into four zones — an aquatic stadium, centre for sports excellence, indoor multiplayer sports arena and a community sports stadium has been built in the Naranpura area.

“The land had been lying vacant for decades. Society-level matches were being played here… encroachments were made and removed but the place did not develop as a sports complex. In 2019, I went to Narendra Modi and said that 400 meters away from my house there is a 21-acre plot kept for the sports complex and, if he could give permission to develop it. He said we will meet after some time. Some time later, he called me and told me to develop the sports complex with the condition of it being a world class centre ,” Shah said.

The Veer Savarkar Sports Complex is the “most advanced sports complex”, the Union Minister said, adding, these “are not his words but of the heads of different sports associations”, who were a part of the two international sports events held here recently. “Ahmedabad will become the sports capital of the country. Modern complexes such as Narendra Modi Stadium, Sardar Patel Sports Enclave, Veer Savarkar Sports Complex have developed adequate sports facilities,” he added.

The Sardar Patel Sports Enclave is being built on 233 acres near the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. A Para Athlete High Performance Center is also being set up for disabled athletes.

The Union Minister said that the sports sector has undergone major changes under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi such as “providing world-class sports infrastructure to the athletes in the country, training, transparency in selection and opportunity being given to good performers to represent the country in world games”. The scenario of India’s sports sector has completely changed in the last 10 years, he added.

Regarding naming the sports complex after Veer Savarkar, Shah said that “the great freedom fighter was a very skilled swimmer”. “To escape from the clutches of the British, he jumped from a fireboat with shackles and handcuffs and crossed the sea to reach France but he was caught. The only revolutionary …to receive a sentence of 120 years of double life imprisonment in the history of British-ruled India, Veer Savarkar has continuously fought to expel the British from the country. The British called the struggle of 1857 a military rebellion, but Veer Savarkar called it a freedom struggle,” he said.

Listing the changes in the sports field, Shah said that 10 years ago, in 2014-15, the budget of the sports department under the UPA government was Rs 1,643 crore, which has now increased to Rs 5,300 crore.

New sports policy

In the context of the new sports policy, Shah said that “it is based on five pillars: giving Indian athletes a global platform, economic and social development through sports, making sports a mass movement and integrating education and sports. “From Independence till 2012 India has won 20 gold medals in all the Olympics, while in the last eight years, the country won 15 Olympic medals. It had won eight medals in the Paralympics, and after the Modi government came to power, it won 52 medals,” he said.

He added that in 2029, international competitions of police and fire department personnel will be held in Ahmedabad. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who was also present during the event, said: “A strong sports ecosystem has been created through the newly created sports policy, which is becoming important in developing sports infrastructure”.

Referring to the National Sports Policy and the development of the sports ecosystem in the country, CM Bhupendra Patel said that recently, “steps have been taken to protect the interests of the players by passing the Sports Governance Bill 2025 and the National Anti-Doping Amendment Bill 2025, which proves that special attention has been paid to sports in the country”. He added that our players are also showing their skills at the global level.

The state’s sports budget has increased manifold in two decades, said the CM. “Today, the state’s sports budget is Rs 486 crore. As a result, 23 sports complexes have been operationalised in 21 districts of the state,” he added.

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