India bids for 2030 Games with eye on 2036 Olympics

INDIA has officially submitted a bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, marking a major step in its broader ambition to stage the 2036 Olympic Games in the country.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) sent the ‘expression of interest’ (EOI) to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) last week, ahead of next Monday’s (31) deadline, a senior sports ministry official said.

“Yes, it is true. India’s bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games has been submitted by the IOA and Gujarat state,” the source confirmed.

If successful, Ahmedabad will become the host city, further strengthening its position as the front-runner for India’s 2036 Olympic bid.

Prime minister Narendra Modi first revealed the government’s aspiration to bring the Olympics to India during the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai in 2023.

The CGF, which recently rebranded itself as Commonwealth Sport, will now evaluate all the bids submitted before the final decision is made by its general assembly.

India’s interest comes at a time when the CWG has been struggling to secure hosts.

The 2026 edition faced uncertainty after original host Victoria, in Australia, pulled out due to soaring costs. Glasgow eventually stepped in, but with a significantly reduced schedule of just 10 sports across four venues.

India, which last hosted the CWG in New Delhi in 2010, is aiming to add more disciplines, including those dropped from the 2026 edition, to ensure its athletes have more medal opportunities. However, the CGF rejected the proposal.

Despite this, CGF CEO Katie Sadleir has been supportive of India’s ambitions, saying that hosting the 2030 CWG would be a positive step towards the larger goal of staging the 2036 Olympics.

India has also submitted a ‘letter of intent’ to the IOC’s Future Host Commission for the 2036 Olympics, moving from the ‘informal dialogue’ to the ‘continuous dialogue’ phase. In this stage, the IOC will conduct a feasibility study of India’s proposed infrastructure and project progress.

However, the country faces competition from several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, which are positioning themselves as strong contenders.

A final decision on the 2036 Olympic host is not expected before 2026.

Kristy Coventry, who was last week elected as the first female and African president of the IOC, remained non-committal about India’s Olympic ambitions. When asked if India’s bid could move to the ‘targeted dialogue’ stage before outgoing president Thomas Bach’s term ends on June 23, she said, “There is a process in place, and that will remain for the next few months.”

Coventry added that she plans to share her thoughts on the selection of future hosts in the coming days.

“I do think we need to involve the members in the selection process, and I have a few ideas I may be willing to share next week,” she said.

Coventry will officially take over as IOC president on June 23, Olympic Day, following a three-month transition period.

If India’s bid progresses, the next phase will be the ‘targeted dialogue’ where a formal edition-specific bid will be submitted. This will be assessed by the Future Host Commission before the final host is elected.