Cricket, archery and shooting are understood to be in a strong position to make a return to the Commonwealth Games when India stages the event in 2030. The talks over the sporting line-up are still ongoing, but those three disciplines are among the ones thought to be best placed as organisers shape the programme for Ahmedabad.
The current Games in Glasgow feature only 10 sports, a trimmed-down schedule that followed the late withdrawal of Victoria in Australia as host. For 2030, however, the programme is expected to expand again, with Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadlier saying the target is 17 sports. She said the Games needed to be reset into a format that is more affordable for future hosts, while still allowing a few sports to return.
India’s Olympic Association representative Raghu Iyer said there are several sports that may feel they have missed out, while also pointing to events where India has traditionally excelled. He mentioned shooting and archery among those areas, and indicated that sports with strong Indian relevance would be favoured. Cricket’s case is helped by the expectation that at least two team sports will be added, with hockey and rugby sevens also in the mix.
Other sports under consideration include badminton, 3×3 basketball, 3×3 wheelchair basketball, beach volleyball, cycling, diving, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, squash, triathlon, para triathlon and wrestling. India also has the option to put forward two new sports as host nation. No final decisions have been made yet.
Ahmedabad’s Games will mark the Commonwealth centenary, with events set for the Narendra Modi Stadium, a 120,000-seat venue that has already hosted two men’s Cricket World Cup finals in recent years. Iyer said any major sporting event would also support India’s ambitions to host the 2036 Olympic Games, while stressing that the focus is on delivering one of the best Commonwealth Games yet.
Source: bbc.co.uk
