India submits bid to host 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad

India has officially submitted its bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, marking a significant step toward its ambition of staging the 2036 Olympic Games. Media reports on Thursday confirm that this move has been in progress for several weeks.

Ahmedabad, the designated host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games if India’s bid is successful, is also the leading contender for the 2036 Olympics.

India, which last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010, is actively pursuing its ambition to bring the Olympics to the country in 2036. Aside from CWG 2010, India has only held 1982 Asian Games.

The deadline to submit the 'Expression of Interest' for hosting the Games is March 31, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) sent India’s letter a few days ago.

So far, India has submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’ to host the Games, advancing from the “Informal Dialogue” to the “Continuous Dialogue” stage of the host election process.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), now rebranded as Commonwealth Sport, will oversee the evaluation process, with the final decision on the host city being made by the CGF General Assembly.

India’s bid submission follows recent remarks by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who affirmed the country’s interest in hosting the Games.

India had also proposed hosting the disciplines removed from the 2026 Commonwealth Games to safeguard its medal prospects when the event takes place in Glasgow. However, the CGF rejected this proposal.

Despite this, CGF CEO Katie Sadleir expressed openness to India hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi first expressed his government’s aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics during the 2023 International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai.

India faces stiff competition from nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, which are emerging as strong contenders for the event. A final decision on the 2036 Olympic host is not expected before 2026. However, the process is likely to accelerate following the IOC’s successful Annual Session in Greece, where former Olympic champion Kirsty Coventry was elected as its first female President.