India’s state of Gujarat has vowed to build on the success of the just-concluded Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and stage a memorable centenary edition in 2030 in its largest city, Amdavad, for athletes, fans and officials.

Giving the assurance at a press briefing marking the transition, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, expressed the city’s readiness to take up the huge responsibility with the facilities and logistics they already have.

Flanked by the secretary at the Department of Sport, Shri Hari Ranjan Rao, Mr Sanghavi said hosting the event, which by then will be 100 years old, “is a big responsibility, but we are ready. We will learn from Glasgow’s excellence and carry those learnings forward.

He said, “Amdavad is compact, well connected and vibrant with possibility. We have integrated transport systems, modern accommodation and our venues are clustered to minimise travel and maximise a great experience.

“When you come to Amdavad, you do not simply enter a host city, you enter a home. We will continue to work with the Glasgow team who have always supported us and shown us how to make a Games happen in a short time.”

Noting that hosting the event in “Amdavad is a significant milestone,” Mr Sanghavi restated the country’s commitment to establishing itself as a sporting capital of a global state, especially as they are working to secure the hosting rights for the Olympics in 2036.

“We aspire to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, and the Commonwealth Games is an opportunity to demonstrate India’s readiness to deliver world-class sporting events for athletes, for spectators and for the entire world,” he said.

Although Ahmedabad has yet to finalise the programme for the next Commonwealth Games, Mr Sanghavi said cricket is likely to be included and assured that the Para sport programme would be one of the best ever staged.

Also speaking at the press conference, the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Sport, Katie Sadleir, said the next games will likely feature “15 to 17” sports.

On his part, Glasgow 2026 CEO, Phil Batty, said, “As we move forward into 2030 and beyond, we have created a belief among 74 nations that every single nation could and should host the Commonwealth Games.

“The Commonwealth Games, wherever it is hosted, should look and feel different and celebrate the identity, the character, the infrastructure, the communities and people of whichever nation is hosting.

“And with this new, more flexible, sustainable, smarter, more inclusive approach to delivering a major sporting event, you will see every edition of the Games over the next 40 years with a different feel, dynamic and character.”