Opinion India hosting Commonwealth Games is a test and an opportunity

Exactly 20 years after India last held the event in New Delhi, Commonwealth Sport formally named Ahmedabad the host of the centenary Games in 2030. India is now cast in the role of the unlikely saviour of the troubled Commonwealth Games. This can only be good news, for it means further investment in public infrastructure, a chance to promote sports tourism and provide a generation of Indian athletes the experience of competing in shiny new stadiums, in front of home fans. Hosting an event like the CWG will also mean increased funding for the athletes, which could translate into better performances not just at the Commonwealth level, but also in Asia and at the Olympics, as seen in 2010. This will be essential for India, especially as the country is eyeing the 2036 Olympics.

The 2030 CWG can make an impact even beyond the sporting field. The Games will offer India a chance to exorcise the ghosts of 2010 and repair its reputation as a credible sporting destination. Allegations of corruption, shoddy planning and delayed infrastructure once sullied India’s global image so deeply that even the flawlessly staged Formula 1 races, the U-17 FIFA World Cup, and the cricket and hockey World Cups in the last 15 years couldn’t fully erase the blemish. After it was awarded the event on Wednesday, the Indian delegation promised a controversy-free Games — insisting they are “well prepared” and have learnt the lessons of 2010. Chief among them: Don’t over-commit, don’t oversell, and remember that the Commonwealth Games are just that. As Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir bluntly put it, “We are not the Olympics.” It’s a message India, yet to reveal the detailed plan and budget, must heed, and build a Games that matches ambition with realism.

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After all, it is the build-up to the 2030 CWG, as much as the event itself, that will show how ready and efficient India is. The officials are conscious that the eyes of the world, not least the International Olympic Committee, will be on Ahmedabad for the next five years. If it lives up to the promise of delivering a smooth Games, the 2030 CWG can be a starting point for India towards becoming a trusted arena for global sport.