Editorial | Ahmedabad CWG can be much more than the 2030 games

Ahmedabad is set to host the Commonwealth Games two decades after New Delhi hosted them in 2010. Commonwealth Sport’s executive board has forwarded the candidature of Gujarat’s largest city as the host for the 2030 games. However, one must be guarded in celebration for now.

Just to jog the memory, CWG 2010 in New Delhi was embroiled in avoidable controversies ranging from delays in constructing venues, gaps in civic planning and allegations of massive corruption. This is just one part of the troubles. Hosting the Commonwealth Games has become a liability — the last two editions have shown that there are not too many takers to host the quadrennial event. Durban, which was supposed to host the 2022 edition, withdrew because of rising costs, and Birmingham was forced to step in.

The 2026 games were supposed to be held in Victoria, but the Australian government withdrew after estimates overshot the original budget. Even for the 2030 edition, there were only two interested nations—India and Nigeria.

Ahmedabad is an apt choice considering the city’s push to create world-class infrastructure. The Naranpur Sports Complex, a sprawling structure built for about ₹825 crore, is set to be the main venue. The yet-to-be-finished Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Enclave, which houses the Narendra Modi stadium, will be another venue. India must learn from Delhi and not overshoot the budget.

Birmingham 2022 was minimalistic, as will be Glasgow 2026. Even the Paris Olympics last year had strict austerity measures in place to offset the spiralling budget. India’s ultimate aim is to host the Olympics in 2036, and the CWG should be organised to show that India can host big-ticket events. Ahmedabad is also in the running for the Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee will decide the hosts by 2030. And Olympic bids are far more complicated than CWG.

India must grab this opportunity to sow seeds of a broader sports culture. The government and all other stakeholders must ensure that India’s Olympics tally doubles by 2032 from the seven at Paris 2024. It is possible, going by CWG 2010.

India bagged six medals at the 2012 London Olympics, up from three at Beijing four years earlier. With robust planning and investment, India can again create a rewarding culture. CWG 2030 should be the platform for the country’s next sporting leap.