Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has expressed confidence that Ahmedabad will host the “grandest and most historic” Commonwealth Games in 2030, while predicting that India will also register its highest-ever medal haul at the event.
The remarks came after the curtains came down on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where India finished fourth with 39 medals despite competing without several traditional medal-winning sports. Speaking in response to an X post by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, Mandaviya said the 2030 Games would include all of India’s major sports and help the country produce its best-ever Commonwealth Games performance.
“Mr. Kejriwal, You can rest completely assured that when India hosts the 2030 Commonwealth Games under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, it will be the grandest and most historic one. During that time, all our major sports will be included in it, and we will win our highest number of medals as well.
“This is the guarantee of the new India.”
Earlier, Kejriwal congratulated India’s athletes for their performances in Glasgow and argued that the country had the potential to top the Commonwealth Games medal table in future with sustained grassroots investment. He also criticised the exclusion of wrestling and shooting from the 2026 programme, saying India should strongly oppose the decision.
“As the 2026 Commonwealth Games come to a close, I would like to congratulate all the athletes who participated and brought home medals for the country. We are incredibly proud of you.”
“Given our immense potential, there is no reason why India shouldn’t be sitting at the top of the medal table in the future. Thoughtful investments at the grassroots level and proper structural support for our players can do wonders.”
“However, it is deeply disheartening to see that sports like wrestling and shooting where we traditionally excel have been removed from the CWG roster. India must strongly protest these unfair omissions.”
The exchange came a day after Ahmedabad officially began its Commonwealth Games journey during the closing ceremony in Glasgow. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi received the Commonwealth Games flag as the baton was ceremonially handed over to the 2030 hosts, marking the start of India’s preparations for the landmark edition.
AHMEDABAD GEARS UP FOR CWG 2030
Ahmedabad will host the Commonwealth Games in October 2030, exactly 100 years after the inaugural edition was held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. It will be only the second time India stages the Games after New Delhi successfully hosted the event in 2010.
The 2030 edition is expected to be significantly larger than recent Commonwealth Games, with organisers exploring the inclusion of sports such as cricket, hockey and kabaddi alongside the traditional disciplines. At the centre of the preparations will be the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, while the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue, is expected to host the opening and closing ceremonies.
Officials also see the Games as an opportunity to strengthen India’s credentials as a host of major international sporting events. Alongside new sporting infrastructure and athlete facilities, the event is expected to serve as another step in India’s long-term ambition of bidding for the Olympic Games.
India will also be looking to eclipse its best-ever Commonwealth Games performance. At New Delhi 2010, the hosts finished with a record 101 medals, including 38 gold, powered largely by shooting and wrestling — two sports that were absent from the Glasgow 2026 programme.
Despite that setback, India still finished fourth in Glasgow with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze. With Ahmedabad now taking centre stage and discussions underway to restore several medal-rich disciplines, the focus has already shifted from Glasgow’s farewell to India’s ambitious plans for a historic home Commonwealth Games in 2030.
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