- India
- Nov 28
- Sreesha V.M
Ahmedabad formally named as host of 2030 Commonwealth Games
• Ahmedabad has been formally ratified as the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, marking a historic moment for the Commonwealth Sport Movement.
• The 2026 CWG will be held in Glasgow.
• The 2030 Games will mark the centenary of the inaugural event held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
• India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi.
• Getting the Games’ hosting rights would also be a significant milestone in India’s quest to become an Olympic host in 2036, also proposed to be conducted in Ahmedabad.
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.
(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)