With the Commonwealth Sport’s General Assembly in Glasgow on Wednesday formally confirming Ahmedabad as the venue of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, India is likely to push for the inclusion of yoga as a medal sport at the centenary edition.
Indian officials said they were “well-prepared” to deliver a controversy-free Games, unlike the 2010 edition in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said: “Delighted that India has won the bid to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030. Congratulations to the people of India and the sporting ecosystem. It is our collective commitment and spirit of sportsmanship that has placed India firmly on the global sporting map… We look forward to welcoming the world”.
India would “prefer” that the event be held in October 2030, Ashwini Kumar, principal secretary, Gujarat government, said, adding that the exact dates would be worked out closely with Commonwealth Sport.
As the host, India can propose up to two new or traditional sports. An official from the Indian delegation said one of the sports identified is yoga.
It could be proposed when the process to finalise the sports programme begins next month.
Yoga will make its debut as a demonstration sport at the 2026 Asian Games and is vying to become a medal event at the 2030 Asiad. “Yoga has been a symbol of India’s soft power. At a time when we are making a strong pitch to include the sport in multi-sport events across the world, it is important that we showcase it at the CWG, which will be held on home soil,” the official told The Indian Express.
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Yoga is also one of the sports India has short-listed in case it wins the rights to host the 2036 Olympics, also in Ahmedabad.
Badminton, hockey, wrestling, shooting and T20 cricket — all axed from the 2026 edition — are the other sports of Indian interest that are likely to return in 2030. The event’s governing body, Commonwealth Sport, said that “15-17 sports will feature at Amdavad 2030”, roughly double the eight planned for next year’s cost-cut Glasgow Games.
The inclusion of these sports will be central to India’s medal prospects. In 2010, when India last hosted the Games in New Delhi, the country’s athletes won 101 medals, including 38 gold. At the 2022 Birmingham Games, India won 61 medals, but shooting wasn’t a part of the programme. India’s prospects for the 2026 CWG look bleak after the organisers chopped the Games programme.
“The Amdavad 2030 team will work closely with Commonwealth Sport and the International Federation community to shape a dynamic and exciting sport programme with strong local resonance and global appeal,” the Commonwealth Sport said in a statement.
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All 74 Commonwealth nations and territories ratified India’s bid to host the 2030 Games during Wednesday’s meeting. Following a presentation by the Indian delegation — comprising officials from the Centre and Gujarat government, and the Indian Olympic Association — 20 dancers and 30 drummers performed garba at the meeting hall in Glasgow as a mark of celebration.
Dr Donald Rukare, the president of Commonwealth Sport, called it “the start of a new golden era”. “India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance,” he said.
India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi, which was overshadowed by poor planning, delays in infrastructure completion and allegations of corruption.
“The 2010 Games were one of the best Games that were hosted, but there were some challenges. This time, we are well-prepared,” Kumar, who was part of the Indian team that made the presentation, said. “The organising committee is going to be established within a month or so. Our fundamentals are very strong. One of the major highlights of 2030 Ahmedabad is that most of the venues are already ready, the funding has been secured, and the budget has been very meticulously worked out.”
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The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Sports Enclave, a 355-acre area adjacent to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and Karai Sports Hub, with a site area of 143 acres, augmented by reclaimed riverfront in Gandhinagar, are likely to be the main Games hubs. These venues, Kumar said, would be ready by the end of 2028 or early 2029.
“We are going to use these venues for the World Police and Fire Games in October 2029. So that kind of uncertainty is not there,” Kumar said.
The Commonwealth Games have had few takers in recent years but India saw it as an opportunity to prop up its bid for the 2036 Olympics. An IOA official said they aim to use the build-up period to the 2030 CWG to “prove” that India can be a “reliable destination”. Incidentally, Ahmedabad’s key competitor in the race for the 2036 Olympics, Doha, will host the Asian Games in 2030.
Kumar said that Ahmedabad is also targeting to host the 2031 World Athletics Championships and the 2033 World Aquatic Championships as part of its plan to make the city the “sports capital of India”.
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Meanwhile, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed that the World Police Games would also be held in Ahmedabad. “We have been hosting so many events in the past few years. In the build-up to CWG, we will also host events like World Police Games,” he said.
