By Kabiru Abdulrauf
India has been recommended to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with Ahmedabad emerging as the preferred city over Abuja, Nigeria, in the final phase of the selection process.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Commonwealth Sport, following the submission of an evaluation report by the body’s assessment commission. The recommendation will be formally ratified at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26.
If approved, it will mark the second time in two decades that India will host the multi-sport event, after the 2010 Games in New Delhi.
Situated in western India, Ahmedabad is one of the country’s fastest-developing urban centres, with a population exceeding five million. The city boasts modern sports infrastructure, headlined by the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest sporting arena with a seating capacity of 132,000. The venue previously hosted the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final.
In a statement, Dr. P. T. Usha, President of the Commonwealth Games Association of India, described the development as a “historic milestone” for Indian sports and a testament to the nation’s growing capacity to stage world-class events.
The decision marks a significant moment for Indian athletics and a disappointment for Nigeria, which had hoped to bring the Games to Abuja for the first time in its history.
