‘Mood in India to host multi-sport events’: IOA approves country’s 2030 Commonwealth Games bid

A team of officials from Commonwealth Sport, led by its Director of Games, Darren Hall, recently visited Ahmedabad to inspect the venues and meet officials from the Gujarat government.

“There is a process to a bid. The first step was the expression of interest that was given post the support from the government and the backing of the government. The mood in the country is there to host multi-event sporting events and also the aspiration of the country to host the Olympics in 2036. So, hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a natural, or right, step in that direction,” IOA Executive Council member Harpal Singh told The Indian Express.

After India’s submission of the bid on August 31, Commonwealth Sport will take the final decision in the month of November at their Annual General Meeting. A larger delegation will visit to check the preparedness of the host city.

When asked if the Games will be a truncated version, like the one scheduled in Glasgow for next year, Harpal said, “Glasgow was an aberration because of the pullout of Victoria 2026 and time was short. It was a challenge to get a host and, in that short time frame, to build the infrastructure. We will revert back to (a program that is) as close as to the previous games.”

In Glasgow, sports like hockey, badminton, shooting, and wrestling were dropped from the program due to logistical and financial challenges but such sports will be back when India will host the event. “There are three types of sports in CWG, one being the core sports, one is choice of hosts, and one being the additional sports. We will have all three,” Harpal added.

Ahmedabad likely to be venue

The delegation from Commonwealth Sport had earlier visited Ahmedabad to see the infrastructure and readiness of the city.

“Officially, Ahmedabad is going to apply as the host city and we will see if there is a sport which doesn’t have infrastructure in the city, then we have centers like Bhubaneswar and Delhi to look at. But at the moment, it’s a process where we will be consulting everyone,” IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer told The Indian Express.

According to media reports last month, Canada pulled out of their bid to host the Games, which should increase India’s chances. “We are not sure if Canada has pulled out or not but either way our focus is on presenting a flawless bid to ensure that the hosting rights come to us,” Iyer said.

After Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Glasgow came in as last minute hosts, the whole Commonwealth program is going through a reset with the federation planning a new program for the upcoming editions.

“There has been a reset in Commonwealth Sport as there have been challenges related to the Games not being sustainable. The committee is working on making it more sustainable and feasible for anyone who hosts it in future,” said Harpal, who is also a member of the reform committee at Commonwealth Sport.