CHENNAI: As expected, two countries have submitted the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Sports (CS) has announced in a statement on Tuesday that India and Nigeria are the only two nations who have submitted the bid before the deadline of August 31.
The 2030 will also be the centenary celebration of the Games and if India wins the bid, it will be after 20 years the country would be hosting the Games. In 2010, India hosted the Games in New Delhi and this time the venue has shifted to Amdavad (Ahmedabad) in Gujarat. Though, according to the CS, there had been wide-ranging and diverse expressions of interests but in the end there were only two bidders.
Nigeria has been trying to garner support from the African communities to back the bid as the continent has never before hosted Commonwealth Games. The only time Africa came close to hosting it was when Durban (CWG 2022) was in line to host but was denied due to lack of government commitment and financial constraints. The SA government had said that they lacked the financial capability to host the event as well.
As for the 2030 CWG, India are in a strong position as well. The city has already cited its strong sports infrastructure and ability to host mega events as their strength. India is also highlighting its endeavour to host inclusive and sustainable Games. A delegation led by Harsh Sanghavi, sports minister of Gujarat submitted the bid on Friday last. It is understood that it was just a submission.
“We have put our best foot forward and are hopeful of a positive outcome,” said Raghuram Iyer, CEO of the Indian Olympic Association who was part of the delegation to London. “We will continue to engage in our discussions with Commonwealth Sports in the next couple of month and more.”
After this the evaluation committee appointed by the CS will look into both the bids. This will also include in-person presentations by the potential hosts in a meeting at London in late September.
On Tuesday, CS chief Donald Rukare confirmed that India and Nigeria have submitted formal proposals to host the centenary edition of the Games in 2030. “This positive response from two sporting powerhouse nations of the Commonwealth demonstrates the continued significance and legacy potential of the Commonwealth Games and the strength and appeal of our reimagined, sustainable Games model,” he said in a statement.
“I would like to thank the Commonwealth Games Associations (CGA) of India and Nigeria and their respective Governments for the dynamic and ambitious spirit in which they have engaged in the collaborative dialogue phase,” he said. “The 2030 Evaluation Commission now has the important and difficult task of reviewing and evaluating the proposals and recommending a host to the Executive Board and ultimately, the 74 nation and territory members of the Commonwealth Sport Movement.”
The evaluation committee is chaired by CS vice president Sandra Osborne QC, who also serves as the sports committee chair and president of the Barbados Commonwealth Games Association and Olympic Committee. The other members are Helen Phillips, CS Executive Board member and regional vice president for Europe, Brendan Williams, CS Athletes’ Advisory Commission Chair, Ian Reid, vice chair, Glasgow 2026 Organising Company and Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, Andrew Ryan, former executive director, Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and Darren Hall, CS director of Games & Assurance (non-voting).
