India and Nigeria have emerged as the two contenders for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with both nations submitting their formal bids before the August 31 deadline. The Indian Olympic Association has proposed Ahmedabad as its preferred host city for the centenary edition of the multi-sporting event.Commonwealth Sport has confirmed the receipt of formal proposals from both nations. The bids will be evaluated by an appointed Commission, which will include in-person presentations in London this September.The Evaluation Commission will present its findings to the CS Executive Board, which will then recommend a host to the 74 member nations for final approval at the General Assembly in Glasgow, Scotland, in late November.Sandra Osborne, CS vice president and president of the Barbados Commonwealth Games Association and Olympic Committee, will chair the Evaluation Commission. The commission includes Helen Phillips, Brendan Williams, Ian Reid, Andrew Ryan, and Darren Hall as a non-voting member.Canada had initially shown interest in hosting the 2030 Games but later withdrew its bid citing budget constraints.“We are delighted to confirm that India and Nigeria have submitted exciting formal proposals to host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030,” said Commonwealth Sport President Donald Rukare.“This positive response from two sporting powerhouse nations of the Commonwealth demonstrates the continued significance and legacy potential of the Commonwealth Games and the strength and appeal of our reimagined, sustainable Games model.”“The 2030 Evaluation Commission now has the important and difficult task of reviewing and evaluating the proposals and recommending a host to the Executive Board and ultimately, the 74 nation and territory members of the Commonwealth Sport Movement.”Commonwealth Sport launched a new collaborative host selection process in January, inviting its CGA members to express interest in hosting the 2030 Games and future editions. The deadline for initial expressions of interest was set for the end of March.Following the initial phase, CS worked closely with interested CGAs and their regional representatives to assess hosting feasibility and support the development of detailed proposals.The organisation’s 2023-2034 ‘Commonwealth United’ Strategic Plan and ‘Games Reset’ have moved away from traditional bidding processes. This new approach offers potential hosts the flexibility to be innovative and work collaboratively through a co-creation process while ensuring meaningful participation from all Commonwealth Sport members.
