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Ahmedabad, which was freshly crowned host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, is already lining up more marquee global events as part of its long-term push to land the 2036 Olympic Games.
The successful CWG bid marks the event’s return to India after 20 years, and the Gujarat government is wasting no time in expanding its ambitions.
At a press conference, Ashwani Kumar, Principal Secretary of Sports, revealed that the city has been proposed as a candidate host for the 2028 World U20 Athletics Championships and the 2031 World Athletics Championships, among other major competitions.
“We are creating infrastructure with the aspiration that Ahmedabad becomes the sports capital of India,” Kumar said.
“Our aim is to host Asian, continental and world-level
events. The pipeline is long, and these events will drive the local economy.”
It was also mentioned that Ahmedabad is in the running for the 2033 World Aquatics Championships and is already confirmed to host the 2029 World Police and Fire Games.
India had earlier submitted an expression of interest to host the 2028 U20 Worlds during World Athletics President Sebastian Coe’s visit in 2024. The hosts for the 2028 and 2030 editions will be announced next month.
Ahmedabad’s growing reputation
Ahmedabad has quietly built a resume of events, including the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and the Asian Aquatics Championships. Upcoming competitions include next year’s Asian Weightlifting meet.
Kumar added that hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games strengthens India’s Olympic narrative: “It shows we can deliver a multi-sport event efficiently and at scale.”
October likely for the 2030 Games
While dates are not final, October is currently the preferred window, offering milder weather and aligning with the city’s festive calendar — Navratri, Diwali, and more.
“Athlete performance and fan experience are paramount,” Kumar said. “We’ll work closely with Commonwealth Sport to finalise the exact dates.”
He stressed that the organisers do not want to “overcommit” and will draw lessons from previous Games around the world.
Even with existing facilities — the Narendra Modi Stadium, Veer Savarkar Multi-Sports Complex, TransStadia, and venues at Gujarat University and IIT Gandhinagar — officials believe the city is well-prepared to deliver an event of CWG scale.
(with PTI inputs)
