India To Host 2030 Commonwealth Games – Next Stop The 2036 Olympics?

India will beryllium formally approved arsenic hosts of nan centenary Commonwealth Games successful 2030 adjacent period arsenic nan state steps up its ambitions to shape nan 2036 Olympics.

Commonwealth Sport says its executive committee had recommended Ahmedabad, successful nan authorities of Gujarat, arsenic nan big metropolis for nan 2030 Games complete what it called an “ambitious bid” by Nigeria. The determination still needs to beryllium ratified by a wide assembly successful Glasgow connected 26 November, but aggregate sources described that process a formality.

The Commonwealth Sport main executive, Katie Sadleir, said: “Today’s proposal is strategically important for nan early of nan Commonwealth Sport movement. It builds connected nan level that Glasgow 2026 will supply and sets a clear guidance for nan years ahead.

“The Centenary Games successful 2030 connection an opportunity not conscionable to observe 100 years of history, but to show really nan Commonwealth Games tin proceed to evolve, creating meaningful effect for athletes, communities and nations crossed nan Commonwealth.”

The announcement has acold wider implications arsenic Ahmedabad is besides wherever India intends to shape nan 2036 Olympics. But its bid for nan biggest arena successful world athletics has faced a number of bumps successful caller months that person put different contenders – including Qatar, Istanbul and Hungary – connected precocious alert.

Germany and Saudi Arabia are besides keen connected staging a early Games, though their attraction is much connected 2040. A British bid for either 2036 aliases 2040 is highly unlikely, pinch UK Sport much willing successful nan anticipation of hosting successful 2044.

The deficiency of a heavyweight rival for 2036 has led galore insiders to anoint Ahmedabad favourites, particularly arsenic Nita Ambani, whose family is nan richest successful India, is simply a salient IOC member.

However, 1 root said that nan Indian bid was fixed a “wake-up call” by nan International Olympic Committee erstwhile it visited Lausanne successful nan summer, pinch concerns raised astir mismanagement and governance issues astatine nan Indian Olympic Association, nan deficiency of item successful nan bid and nan country’s dismal capacity astatine nan Games. Last twelvemonth successful Paris, India’s athletes vanished 71st successful nan badge array pinch six medals.

India’s doping problems are besides a interest to nan IOC arsenic it continues to beryllium precocious connected nan World Anti-Doping Agency’s watch list, pinch 260 affirmative cases of nationalist and world athletes past year. Another setback came erstwhile nan caller IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, paused nan big metropolis bidding process successful July successful consequence to members’ petition to person much engagement successful nan process.

It had been thought that Ahmedabad would use from nan aforesaid secretive action argumentation that led to Brisbane being handed nan 2032 Games without a thorough bidding process. However, Coventry has indicated that members will now person a acold greater say.

Two last mobility marks travel from India’s shambolic staging of nan 2010 Commonwealth Games successful Delhi, and the deficiency of crowds for sporting events outside men’s cricket. Planning and past staging a successful multi-event world sports competition, specified arsenic nan 2030 Commonwealth Games, would surely thief assuage immoderate of those issues and doubts.

The announcement was greeted pinch joyousness by Dr P T Usha, who said it would thief nan country’s stated extremity of being afloat developed by nan centenary of its independency successful 2047. “It would beryllium an bonzer honour for India to big nan Centenary Commonwealth Games,” he said. “The Games would not only showcase India’s world-class sporting and arena capabilities, but besides play a meaningful domiciled successful our nationalist travel towards Viksit Bharat 2047.”

India’s engagement is besides a invited boost to nan Commonwealth Games itself, fixed it faced an existential situation hardly 2 years agone erstwhile Victoria and past nan Gold Coast pulled out of staging nan 2026 Games owed to financial issues. A smaller, semi-skimmed arena will beryllium staged successful Glasgow adjacent summer, pinch conscionable 10 sports compared to 22 (including 3 para-sports) successful Birmingham 2022.