Nigeria and India have officially entered the race to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, setting up a contest between two of the world’s most influential former British colonies.
Nigeria has put forward Abuja as its proposed host city, while India’s bid is anchored on Ahmadabad. The Commonwealth Sport president, Donald Rukare, confirmed the submissions in a statement on Saturday.
“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,” Rukare said.
He added that the latest interest comes after “unprecedented, diverse and wide-ranging expressions of interest in hosting the Games in 2030 and beyond.”
Both proposals will now be assessed by an evaluation commission led by Commonwealth Sport vice president Sandra Osborne. Other members of the team include board member Helen Phillips, Athletes’ Advisory Commission chair Brendan Williams, and Ian Reid, vice chair of the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company.
The bid teams will make their formal presentations in London at the end of September. A final decision is expected in November when Commonwealth Sport’s General Assembly meets in Glasgow, Scotland, to vote.
If Nigeria succeeds, the Games will be staged in Africa for the first time. The country had earlier made unsuccessful attempts to host in 2014, when Glasgow was chosen instead. South Africa had also tried to bring the 2022 edition to the continent but withdrew due to financial challenges.
India, on the other hand, would be hosting the Games for the second time, having first staged them in New Delhi in 2010.
Both nations were part of seven regions that initially expressed interest back in April, with five specifically targeting the landmark 2030 edition.
The post Nigeria, India Battle To Host 2030 Commonwealth Games appeared first on Naija News.
