2030 Commonwealth Games: India not lone bidder, Nigeria joins race

India and Nigeria are in the race to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games after submitting their proposals by the August 31 deadline.

After Canada “decided to postpone its ambitions,” it has become a two-horse race for the centenary edition of the Games.

Following an approval from the Union Cabinet, a delegation, led by Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi, submitted India’s formal proposal to Commonwealth Sport (CS) in London on National Sports Day, August 29. It positioned Amdavad (a local name for Ahmedabad) as the host city for the 2030 Games.

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Both proposals will now be assessed by a six-member Evaluation Commission (EC), chaired by CS vice-president Sandra Osborne, at a meeting in London in late September. The EC will report its findings to the CS Executive Board, which will recommend a host to the 74 member nations and territories for approval at the General Assembly in late November in Glasgow.

CS launched a new collaborative host selection process in January last, inviting countries to lodge their interest for 2030 and future editions of the Commonwealth Games by March.

The CS 2023-2034 ‘Commonwealth United’ Strategic Plan, launched in June 2023, and ‘Games Reset’ allow a move-away from a traditional host bidding process, enabling flexibility and offering potential hosts the opportunity to be innovative and work collaboratively.

There was uncertainty surrounding the Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew from hosting the 2026 edition. Glasgow, the host of the 2014 Games, emerged as a substitute with a plan to organise a smaller event.