India submits bid to host 2030 CWG: Sports ministry source
New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI): With an eye on hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, India has formally submitted its bid to conduct the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, a top sports ministry source told PTI on Thursday, confirming a move that has been in the making for several weeks.
The last date to submit the 'Expression of Interest' to host the Games is March 31 and India's letter was sent by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) a few days ago.
"Yes, it is true, India's bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games has been submitted by the IOA and the state of Gujarat," the ministry source stated.
Ahmedabad, the city that has been finalised to organise the 2030 CWG should the event come to India, is also the front-runner to be the Olympic host if the 2036 bid is successful.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which has re-branded itself as Commonwealth Sport, will now lead an evaluation process and the final appointment of the host will be decided by the CGF General Assembly.
The decision to submit the bid comes after sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently asserted that the country was interested in hosting the Games.
India, which last hosted the CWG in 2010, is also aiming to host the 2036 Olympics.
The country had also expressed a desire to host all those disciplines that were axed from the 2026 CWG to ensure that its medal tally is not affected when the event is held in Glasgow. However, that proposal was rejected by CGF.
However, the CGF CEO Katie Sadleir was quite open to the idea of India hosting the 2030 CWG and had said that it would be a step in the right direction as the country pursued the ambition of playing host to the 2036 Olympics.
The CWG has been struggling to find hosts in recent years and the 2026 edition was thrown into turmoil when original host Victoria (in Australia) withdrew due to escalating costs.
Glasgow stepped in to salvage the event but announced a massively pruned schedule of just 10 sports to be held at four venues within an eight-mile radius of the city.
India has rarely held multi-sport extravaganzas. The 2010 CWG and the 1982 Asian Games are the only instances of multi-sport events being held in the country and both occasions, the host city was the national capital of Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first talked about his government's aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics during the 2023 IOC (International Olympic Committee) session in Mumbai.
India will have to face competition from several other nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, who are positioning themselves as strong contenders to host the sporting spectacle. A decision on the 2036 Olympic host is not expected before 2026.
However, the pace of the process is expected to pick up after the IOC smoothly conducted its Annual Session in Greece to elect former Olympic champions Kirsty Coventry as its first woman President.
India has so far submitted a 'Letter of Intent' to host the Games. With that, the nation progressed from "Informal Dialogue" to the "Continuous Dialogue" stage of the host election process.
In this stage, the IOC conducts a "feasibility study" of the progress of projects associated with the Games in the potential host.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
