New Delhi, April 10 – Commonwealth Games (CS) President Donald Rukare expressed satisfaction on Friday with India's preparedness for the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, stating that the country "is ready for a grand show" in four years.
A three-member team consisting of Rukare, CEO Katie Sadleir, and Games Director Darren Hall undertook a comprehensive multi-city visit from April 8-10, reviewing key venues and infrastructure across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, and Ekta Nagar in Gujarat.
The visit included inspections of competition venues such as Mahatma Mandir, Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Narendra Modi Stadium, and IIT Gandhinagar, as well as meetings with senior government officials and city authorities in Gujarat.
“Based on what we saw yesterday and the day before, it’s clear that India has the facilities and is ready to host the games. Therefore, we leave with a sense of confidence,” Rukare said during a media interaction.
“When the athletes arrive in 2030, they will have an amazing experience, not just in terms of the sporting program, but also the cultural aspect will be remarkable,” he added.
However, the high-level delegation did not provide a clear picture of the 2030 CWG’s sports program, although Rukare mentioned that there would be 16-17 sports included. He stated that the full sports program would be finalized in the first half of 2027.
“We are working with the city, the country, and our counterparts at Commonwealth Games India (IOA) to co-create the sports program. It’s clear that Ahmedabad has the facilities to host a wide range of events,” Rukare said.
“Under our ‘reset and refresh’ agenda, we believe in co-creating a sporting program and a facility itinerary that is not solely focused on the Games, but also on the city’s plan and vision,” he added.
Confirmed disciplines include athletics and para athletics, swimming and para swimming, table tennis and para table tennis, bowls and para bowls, weightlifting and para powerlifting, artistic gymnastics, netball, and boxing.
T20 cricket and hockey are expected to be included, given their popularity in the country. However, the visiting team and IOA officials were non-committal.
"He (Rukare) will announce it very soon. Let's be optimistic," said IOA President PT Usha when asked if India had proposed T20 cricket.
Two sports – hockey, rugby sevens, and T20 cricket – are mandatory for the CWG.
When asked if the 2030 CWG would be a multi-city event, Rukare said, "We are assessing this. There are several important elements that need to be in place, including the local organizing company, and a wide range of considerations."
"However, we believe the primary focus of the Games will be on Ahmedabad, which is based on the proposal we received. We should be able to finalize the venue arrangements. But for now, we are looking at Ahmedabad as the nucleus of the Games," he added.
"We are very optimistic that all the venues will be ready on time," he said, referring to the Gujarat government’s statement that infrastructure would be ready by late 2028 or early 2029.
He also stated that his organization "will not focus on the budget right now."
The host country or Commonwealth Sport may propose the inclusion of a maximum of two additional sports, including one traditional/indigenous sport.
Yogasana, kabaddi, and kho-kho could be considered for the two slots, although the visiting team and IOA thought it "premature" to reveal them.
"India scored big against Nigeria in legacy and community benefit from CWG"
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"In general, in multi-sport events, the focus is on selecting a sport and then building a venue. However, what we are saying is, what venues does a city have, or what is its vision, so that there is a legacy after the Games for those venues, for the benefit of the citizens," Hall said.
"And therefore, the budget and reducing the cost of hosting the Commonwealth Games are at the forefront of our evaluation process. India has been very successful in achieving this and has scored very highly (compared to Nigeria)," he said, referring to how India beat Nigeria to secure the 2030 CWG.
Hall stated that there's no point in an organization (Commonwealth Sport) coming to a city or country and telling them to build facilities that would be of no use later on.
"When we leave, those venues will be obsolete or run down, and unable to be maintained because there will be no legacy. You have a Police Academy which will be used for the World Police and Fire Games (in 2029), you have 1.4 billion people, a huge police force. Those police forces need to be trained. This is a facility that will be used by the community for 20 or 30 years, a sensible use of public money."
2030 CWG to have three-tier structure to run the Games
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In order to avoid the challenges faced during the scandal-hit Delhi Commonwealth Games, the 2030 CWG will have a three-tier structure, with the Group of Ministers (comprising central and state ministers) at the top.
"Below the Group of Ministers will be the Board of Directors, which will include state and central bureaucrats, and officials from Commonwealth Games of India (IOA)," an official source said.
"The lowest level is the Organizing Company, which will be dissolved one year after the Games. It will be a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will actually manage the day-to-day operations of the Games," the official added.