Ahmedabad, India, has been recommended as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Sport announced on Wednesday that the Indian city was chosen ahead of a rival bid from Abuja, Nigeria, to host the event, which will mark the Commonwealth Games’ centenary.
It is the second time in 20 years that the event will be held in the world’s most populous nation.
The city of Ahmedabad, located in western India, was selected ahead of Abuja by an evaluation commission from the governing body, Commonwealth Sport. The decision to hold the Games in India in five years is expected to be ratified at the organisation’s General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26.
Ahmedabad boasts the Narendra Modi Stadium — the largest stadium in the world, with a capacity of 132,000 — which hosted the 2023 Cricket World Cup final. The city has a population exceeding five million people and has even been suggested as a potential bidder to host a future Olympic Games.
“We see the 2030 Games as a powerful opportunity to inspire our youth, strengthen international partnerships, and contribute to a shared future across the Commonwealth,” said Dr. P. T. Usha, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of India.
The Games first visited India in 2010 when New Delhi hosted.
It is also the second time Abuja has missed out on staging the Commonwealth Games, having previously lost its bid for the 2014 edition to Glasgow.