• The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved India’s bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

• India previously hosted the CWG in 2010 in New Delhi.

• The 2026 CWG will be held in Glasgow.

• Ahmedabad has been pitched as the host city for 2030 CWG.

• Athletes from 72 countries and territories participated in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

• The Cabinet decision comes days after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) gave its nod to the proposal after a submission of the ‘Expression of Interest’ in March.

• It also gave its approval to sign the Host Collaboration Agreement (HCA) along with the required Guarantees from concerned Ministries, Departments and Authorities and sanction of required grant-in-aid to Gujarat Government, in case the bid gets accepted.

• August 31 is the last date to submit the bid for the event. 

• The General Assembly of Commonwealth Sport will decide the host country in the last week of November in Glasgow. 

• India’s chances of bagging the event have brightened as Canada has pulled out of the race citing budgetary constraints.

Why is Ahmedabad projected as the host city?

• The government said Ahmedabad is an ideal host city offering world class stadiums, cutting-edge training facilities, and a passionate sporting culture. 

• Narendra Modi Stadium has already demonstrated its capability by successfully hosting the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Final.

• India is also aiming to conduct the 2036 Olympic Games and for that too, Ahmedabad is a front-runner as the host city. 

• The city’s sporting infrastructure is being upgraded with that ambition and it is hosting the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships right now.

• The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is one of the prime venues that is currently under construction and apart from the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, it is designed to house an aquatics centre and a football stadium along with two arenas for indoor sports.

Commonwealth Games

• The Commonwealth is a voluntary group of 56 sovereign nations, most of which were former colonies of the erstwhile British Empire or its dependents.

• The first edition of the Commonwealth Games was held in the Canadian city of Hamilton in 1930 as the former British Empire Games.

• Today, the Commonwealth Games is one the world’s largest multi-sports events.

• Held every four years, with a hiatus during World War II, the Games have grown from featuring 11 countries and 400 athletes, to a global spectacle of 4,600 sportspersons from across 72 nations and territories.

• Besides the nations themselves, a number of dependent territories of these countries compete under their own flag, bringing up the total number of teams.

• The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is an Associated Organisation of the Commonwealth. 

• The CGF is the organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games is a unique, world class, multi-sports event which is held once every four years. It is often referred to as the ‘Friendly Games’.

What is the Commonwealth?

• The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries.

• It is home to 2.5 billion people, and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. As many as 33 of its members are small States, including many island nations.

• India is the largest member state of the Commonwealth, with nearly 60 per cent of the total population of the association. India is the fourth largest contributor to the Commonwealth budgets and programmes.

• The member States have agreed to shared goals like development, democracy and peace.

• The Commonwealth’s roots go back to the British Empire. But today any country can join the modern Commonwealth. The last two countries to join the Commonwealth were Gabon and Togo in 2022.

• King Charles III is Head of the Commonwealth.

• The combined GDP of Commonwealth countries in 2021 was $13.1 trillion and is estimated to reach $19.5 trillion in 2027, almost doubling in ten years from $10.4 trillion in 2017.

• The Commonwealth is often described as a ‘family’ of nations.