2030 Commonwealth Games Will Be Hosted By Ahmedabad, Confirms Commonwealth Sport General Assembly

Ahmedabad, India, was on Wednesday formally ratified as the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, paving the way for the multi-sport event's return to the country after two decades. India had hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. At Wednesday's Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow, delegates of the 74 Commonwealth member nations and territories ratified India's bid. India presented a compelling vision for the 2030 Games, centred in the Gujarat city of Ahmedabad, which will build on foundations laid by Glasgow 2026, enabling India to celebrate the centenary in style.

Moments after Ahmedabad was announced as hosts of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, 20 Garba dancers and 30 Indian dhol drummers burst into the General Assembly Hall, surprising delegates with a rich cultural performance that provided a taste of the heritage and pride that Athletes and fans can expect from a Games hosted in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Garba is a dance that originated in Gujarat and the performance featured members of Glasgow's Indian community, and those from other parts of the Commonwealth, in a show of both diversity and unity across the Movement to start the journey from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to the Centenary edition.

The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. Australia topped the medal table at the most recent Games, staged in Birmingham, England, in 2022, with the rest of the top five made up of England, Canada, India and New Zealand.

"We are deeply honoured by the trust shown by Commonwealth Sport. The 2030 Games will not only celebrate a hundred years of the Commonwealth Movement but also lay the foundation for the next century. It will bring together Athletes, communities, and cultures from across the Commonwealth in a spirit of friendship and progress," PT Usha, President of the Commonwealth Games Association of India, said after Ahmedabad was awarded the hosting rights.

Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport said: "This is the start of a new golden era for Commonwealth Sport. After a 'Games reset' we head to Glasgow 2026 in fantastic shape to welcome the 74 teams of the Commonwealth before setting our sights on Amdavad 2030 for a special Centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games. 

"India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance, and I'm delighted to report strong interest from a range of nations to host the 2034 Games and beyond. We start our next century for the Commonwealth Games in good health."

2030 Games to feature 15-17 disciplines

Commonwealth Sport also confirmed that 15 to 17 sports will feature at the 2030 Games. "The Amdavad 2030 team will work closely with Commonwealth Sport and the International Federation community to shape a dynamic and exciting sport programme with strong local resonance and global appeal," the body stated.

Athletics and Para Athletics, Swimming and Para Swimming, Table Tennis and Para Table Tennis, Bowls and Para Bowls, Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting, Artistic Gymnastics, Netball and Boxing are the confirmed disciplines.

"The process to finalise the remainder of the programme will start next month, and the full Centenary Games line-up will be announced next year.

"The sports under consideration are: Archery, Badminton, 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cricket T20, Cycling, Diving, Hockey, Judo, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens, Shooting, Squash, Triathlon and Para Triathlon and Wrestling. "The host can also propose up to two new or traditional sports," it added.

The expanded programme stays true to the Indian Olympic Association's commitment to have an elaborate Games. The 2026 edition in Glasgow will be a scaled down event with just 10 disciplines on its roster, leaving out sports like shooting, archery, hockey and badminton among others due to cost considerations.

In recent months, Ahmedabad hosted the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, the Asian Aquatics Championships and football's AFC Under-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers.

Next year, it would be hosting the Asian Weightlifting Championship, and Asia Para-Archery Cup. In 2029, the World Police and Fire Games will be held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Ekta Nagar.

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is one of the prime venues that is currently under development and apart from the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, which has a capacity of over one lakh, it is designed to house an aquatics centre and a football stadium along with two arenas for indoor sports.

An athletes village that can house 3,000 is also set to be built inside this complex. The Gujarat government is hoping to complete the venues by 2028.

The first Commonwealth Games, then called the British Empire Games, was held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.

With PTI inputs