 "Why Ahmedabad has recommended as host city for 2030 Commonwealth Games?")
Ahmedabad’s status in the world of cricket has skyrocketed ever since the renovated Narendra Modi Stadium, formerly the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Stadium, was inaugurated in 2020, with the city having hosted multiple Indian Premier League finals as well as the final of the 2023 ICC World Cup since then.
Half a decade from now, Ahmedabad could announce itself as a premier destination for a wide variety of sport, and not just cricket, with the city being recommended as the proposed host for the 2030 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday.
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Commonwealth Sport’s Executive Board, after all, recently revealed that it will propose the metropolitan city in the western Indian state of Gujarat for approval at the General Assembly in Glasgow on 26 November.
Canada’s Hamilton had hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Games – which involves nations that were formerly part of the British Empire or the Commonwealth – in 1930 and was also expected to host the centenary edition five years from now.
Hamilton, however, decided against joining the race to host the centenary edition, with Ahmedabad and Nigeria’s Abuja ultimately being counted among the serious contenders. And with their bid getting recommended, Ahmedabad’s status as host city is all but confirmed.
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“The Executive Board of Commonwealth Sport has today confirmed that it will recommend Amdavad, India, as the proposed host city for the 2030 Centenary Commonwealth Games,” read a press release from Commonwealth Sport. on Wednesday.
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More Shorts“Amdavad (also known as Ahmedabad, in the Indian state of Gujarat), will now be put forward to the full Commonwealth Sport membership, with the final decision taking place at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on 26 November," it added.
Why Ahmedabad has been picked as 2030 CWG host
The centenary edition in Ahmedabad marks only the second time India has hosted the prestigious event, with Delhi having previously hosted the 2010 edition – in which the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium serving as the primary venue for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as for athletics events.
The 2010 edition also marks the last time India hosted a major global multi-sporting event until the World Para-Athletics Championships that concluded earlier this month.
Unlike Delhi 2010, however, the Government of India’s planning for the upcoming event isn’t limited to Centenary CWG edition alone. The Narendra Modi-led government, after all, also hopes to impress the International Olympic Committee (IOC), organisers of the Olympic and Paralympic games, by successfully hosting the Ahmedabad 2030.
Prime Minister Modi has already announced the country’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics in the same city that will be hosting the Commonwealth Games five years from now.
And successfully hosting the CWG – which is a massive event but not quite at the same scale as the Olympics – will help India solidify its bid for the 2036 Games – for which it faces competition from Qatar (Doha), Turkey (Istanbul), Indonesia (Nusantara) and Chile (Santiago).
What will the sports infrastructure be like in the host city?
Ahmedabad isn’t leaving any stone unturned in terms of sporting infrastructure ahead of the Commonwealth Games, with an Indian Express report stating that projects worth Rs 6,000 crore current underway in the city that would have gone ahead even if the city did not receive the Executive Board’s recommendation.
The city also boasts of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave as well as the Naranpura Sports Complex and Karai Sports Hub, which will share hosting duties for the event.
The SVP Sports Enclave, which also includes the Narendra Modi Stadium, will include a multi-purpose indoor arena as well as aquatics and tennis centres besides temporary venues for volleyball and other sports.
The Naranpura Complex, which had recently hosted events such as the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship, will include an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool and will also host events such as basketball.
While some of the venues have already reportedly been constructed, several others – both permanent as well as temporary – are currently still underway, with construction expected to be wrapped up by 2028.
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