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Confirmation of Ahmedabad as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) has sounded the starting gun for an accelerated infrastructure race across the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar belt. The Commonwealth Sport General Assembly’s approval on Wednesday has pushed the twin cities into delivery mode, with officials stressing that major venue construction plans are locked into a firm timeline.Speaking to the media in Glasgow after Ahmedabad won hosting rights, Gujarat principal secretary (sports, youth and cultural activities) Ashwani Kumar said that the city is poised to be the sports capital of India. “The construction of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave (SVPSE) and the Police Academy Sports Hub will begin in April 2026 and finish by late 2028 or early 2029,” he said.
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He announced that funding for both these projects had been secured by the govt and that “most venues for the 2030 Games are ready”. He also said that the “organising committee will be constituted within a month”.Long-term visionMuch of the Games’ footprint will be centred on the SVPSE — a purpose-built zone that will anchor Gujarat’s longterm sporting ecosystem. The enclave will house an arena, aquatic centre, tennis courts, training zones, and athlete villages. The Karai Police Academy complex will host athletics, shooting and other disciplines. For Gujarat, the CWG is as much about global visibility as about creating infrastructural and sporting capacity that endures beyond 2030.
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Unlike some sporting meets that span multiple states, the 2030 Games will be strikingly compact, concentrated almost entirely within the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar cluster. That will enable faster movement and a lower carbon footprint. “This compactness cuts athlete travel time and allows seamless integration of metro, BRTS and electric mobility,” states the document, ‘Games Vision, Concept and Legacy — Commonwealth Games 2030’, presented before the CWG committee. Only two disciplines — cycling at the Statue of Unity (near Kevadia) and women’s cricket in Vadodara — will take place outside this hub.The Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2030 Games — massive productions that are expected to reflect the Commonwealth Sport values.Beyond the Games, Gujarat — which hosted the National Games in 2022 — is pushing lesser-known disciplines like netball, lawn bowls, kabaddi, and yogasana into the spotlight. The bigger shift is strategic — Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar aim to become year round sports cities, with high performance labs, community spaces and university-linked infrastructure to ensure post Games utilisation.
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Focus on sustainabilityAhmedabad also plans to discuss sustainability, diversity and inclusion during the Commonwealth heads of govt meeting (CHOGM) 2026 and 2028.Tejas Joshi, president of Credai Gujarat, said, “Hosting the CWG will be a game changer for Ahmedabad. The city’s infrastructure will see a drastic change with improved roads and connectivity. It will create demand for around 20,000 star-category hotel rooms and boost hotel and retail development. It will also eventually bring new migration to the city, resulting in increased housing demand.”Accommodation is expanding fast. “Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar offer 5,420 hotel rooms in the 3-5 star range, with 3,000 more planned, including 1,500 new 5-star rooms. Upgraded university hostels will house athletes during the Games and serve students later,” states the proposal.
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Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport, handling 13.4 million passengers annually, will add a new terminal by 2026 to double its capacity and introduce e-gates and kiosks.Eye on olympics“World-class sports academies will be set up, encouraging a sports culture among city youths. After the Commonwealth Games, Ahmedabad aims to host the 2036 Olympics. The next decade will bring historic developments to the city,” said Joshi.Behind the scenes, athlete development is accelerating. Gujarat’s sports budget has grown from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 521 crore over two decades, strengthening long-term athlete development pathways and strengthening academies. Part of the focus is also on scaling up talent hunts like Khel Mahakumbh, which saw engagement from 7 million participants, and schemes such as Shaktidoot to support athletes.
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Public participation will also be a defining layer. Programmes like Active Gujarat will convert riverfronts and parks into fitness zones. At the same time, Sabarmati Sundays — weekly openstreet events — will be expanded in the run-up to 2030. College students will join as youth ambassadors through the National Service Scheme (NSS) and the National Cadet Corps (NCC). By 2030, Gujarat plans to train 10,000 volunteers and create over 30,000 jobs linked to the Games. Go to Source