In short, Ahmedabad has left the realm of what-ifs and is now in full execution mode for the 2030 bid. We have our venue dates and a show of support from across the country this week. Between the construction and the community getting on board, it’s a clear sign of where India’s marquee event is heading.
The one thing you can’t miss is the plan to put some of India’s favourite sports back in the mix. According to those in the know, the 17 disciplines on the table will make room for shooting, badminton and hockey – all of which were left out of the Glasgow Games to keep costs down. And of course, there will be a spectacle of cricket at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Why the bid has some heft to it now
For one, it’s in the paperwork. The Games Organising Committee is to be formed in the next few weeks, and that’s the kind of move that gets formal planning, hiring and buying in gear.
Then there’s the energy you can feel off the field. With Commonwealth Games Day being marked in 8,000 places, headlined in Ahmedabad, you can tell the nation is behind it – something any city wants before a mega-event comes to town.
Here is what to look for in the road to 2030:
– Two hubs to be the centre of things
– Hard numbers on venue size and when they’ll be done
– 17 on the list of disciplines
– A priority on shooting, badminton and hockey
– The Organising Committee coming together
Where the action will be
If you follow the map in Ahmedabad, you’ll find the plan centred on the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave and the Gujarat Police Academy in Karai, not far from Gandhinagar. Local officials say both are on track for 2030, if not sooner.
SVP Sports Enclave: by the numbers
The 335-acre SVP Enclave is home to the Narendra Modi Stadium, where over a lakh can come to watch the cricket. On top of that, an aquatics centre, a tennis court and a multipurpose hall are under way.
We have dates for these. The 12,000-seater for the water events is to be up and running by the second quarter of 2029. The 24,000-capacity tennis spot and an 18,000-seat arena are due in the third quarter. They’re also putting in a National Institute for Sports Excellence (NISE) on the premises.
Gujarat Police Academy: the plan
This 143-acre site is where you’ll find the athletics and shooting. The stadium for the former will hold 50,000 and be done by September 2028. For the shooting, they have a 4,000-capacity centre with indoor and outdoor ranges in mind, with a March 2029 finish line.
Some star power and public show
All the building in the world doesn’t hurt without some community spirit, which is what Sunday’s Commonwealth Games Day is for. Anjum Modgil and Trupti Murgunde are in on it, as is the 75th Fit India Sundays on Cycle in Ahmedabad. It’s a chance to put on display the kind of unity and pride the Commonwealth movement is about.
You’ll have Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Harsh Sanghavi, the state’s deputy CM, to see it through. They will be opening a CWG exhibition of sorts, with a look at 12 years of Indian sport and some of the key programmes like Khelo India and the push for local manufacturing of sports goods.
There’s a good turnout expected: Ayushmann Khurrana, ex-medallists like Rajani Etimarpu and Gurjit Kaur, and a few thousand on their bikes. For the people in charge, it’s a good way to see how the public responds before the test events at the venues start.
From the horse’s mouth
Some of the details are still being put in order. Bhaumik Oza, who runs the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura where the weightlifting is likely to be, puts it this way: ‘…the Commonwealth Federation has the final say on where a sport is held. The IOA and the state government have a part to play. It’s a team effort. You’ll see in time.’
Put simply, if we hit the marks in 2028 and 2029, Ahmedabad will be in a strong position as 2030 approaches. Venues in, the right sports back, and the fans are with us. Now that the Organising Committee is on the horizon, it’s all about delivery.
