2030 Ahmedabad Games: Redemption or Repeat? 🇮🇳🏆

World News

Ahmedabad, in India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, was officially confirmed as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday. This selection is viewed in India as a crucial step toward hosting the 2036 Olympics, with authorities aiming to establish the world’s most populous nation as a leading sporting destination. The Games are also intended to help mitigate the negative memories surrounding the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, which were plagued by accusations of corruption and significant construction delays. Ahmedabad already possesses the world’s largest cricket stadium, a 130,000-seat arena named after Modi, and is slated to host the opening and closing ceremonies. However, substantial investments – including upgrades to roads, subway lines, and sporting facilities – are required to transform the city, with a population exceeding seven million. With the competition just five years away, this represents a comparatively short timeframe for such extensive development. “Ahmedabad’s existing venues are capable of hosting the Games ‘with some modifications’,” stated Ashwani Kumar, a senior Gujarat official overseeing sports initiatives. New arenas are planned to be completed by “late 2028 or early 2029.” Kumar added that his team is “very confident” and has developed a budget for the event, although specific financial details were not disclosed. Beyond the competition venues, India will need to expand its infrastructure to accommodate the anticipated influx of thousands of athletes, spectators, and officials.

Rooms at the Games village recently housed a cobra, and the local airport will begin construction on a new terminal next year. India’s national auditor has accused the Delhi government of wasteful spending, amounting to at least $29 million, during the government’s “ill-conceived and ill-planned” program to beautify the city in the lead-up to the Games. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s report also highlighted alleged rigging in several bidding processes for lucrative contracts, including those for timekeeping equipment, lighting fixtures for the opening ceremony, and catering services. Auditors criticized the organizing committee for exaggerating projected revenues, inflating them to an astronomical 17.8 billion rupees ($200 million) when actual committed revenues totaled just 6.8 billion rupees ($76 million). Gujarat government official Kumar acknowledged “some challenges” experienced in 2010, but stated that this time would be different. “We are all well prepared, and we are very confident that we will deliver the Games, which would be remembered in years to come,” Kumar said. He also cautioned against overcommitting and expressed a desire to learn from past editions of the Games held elsewhere in the world.