New Delhi: All but assured of the hosting rights more than a month back, India’s 2030 Commonwealth Games bid is set to be formally approved on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Sport’s general assembly in Glasgow, marking a major milestone in the country’s ambitious plan to become a global multi-sport hub.
India last hosted the Games in 2010 in Delhi but this time, the multi-sport event would be coming to Ahmedabad, a city that has upgraded its sports infrastructure at war footing in the last one decade.
Wednesday’s General Assembly will go through the formality of putting a seal of approval on what has already been recommended by the Commonwealth Sport’s Board. That recommendation followed a process overseen by the Commonwealth Sport’s Evaluation Committee.
It assessed the candidate cities for “technical delivery, athlete experience, infrastructure, governance, and alignment with Commonwealth Sport values.”
For the 2030 CWG bid, India was facing competition from the Nigerian city of Abuja. But Commonwealth Sport decided to instead consider the African nation for the 2034 edition after developing “a strategy for supporting and accelerating” its hosting ambitions.
“During the Assembly, members from across the Commonwealth will take the final decision regarding the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, following a presentation from India, outlining their vision for the Games in Amdavad (also known as Ahmedabad).
“The confirmation of the recommendation will be followed by a unique broadcast moment,” stated a press note from Commonwealth Sport that gave a lowdown of how the day would pan out in the Scottish capital.
A formal announcement is expected around 6.30pm (IST) and India is being represented by joint secretary (sports) Kunal, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P T Usha and Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi among others. “The decision will mark a pivotal moment for the future of the Commonwealth Sport Movement, and a significant chapter in its 100-year history,” the Commonwealth
Sport added.