Why India must host global sports events | Hindustan Times – Hindustan Times

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It’s official now. Ahmedabad will host the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in 2030, which also marks the centenary of the mega event. This is in step with India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad, and the ambitious National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025 that envisions sports as a public good, a driver of economic development, and seeks to make India a global sporting powerhouse. The choice of Ahmedabad also suggests a push to expand sporting infrastructure beyond the national capital, which has been the preferred city for large international sporting events: Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 and the CWG in 2010 were held in New Delhi. Hyderabad hosted the Afro-Asian Games 2003, which saw representation from close to a hundred countries, though many single-event international tournaments, including cricket and hockey World Cups, have been held in cities across India. What distinguishes CWG from single-sport tournaments is the scale: For instance, over 4,000 athletes from 71 countries converged in Delhi in 2010.
India’s concerted bid to become a global sporting hub is welcome for multiple reasons. One, sport is not just about podium finishes; it is also a major economic activity that generates business, creates employment, and helps brand a city. Two, a major sporting event attracts capital and enables urban renewal. A big turnaround of Delhi, for instance, happened during the 1982 Asian Games. Corruption scandals headlined the 2010 CWG, but the latter also led to an overhaul and expansion of the national capital’s creaking infrastructure. It’s time other metros enjoy the pleasure of hosting mega sporting events. Three, the NSP wants to turn sports into a mass movement. Sport is intrinsically connected with national pride and often acts as a glue to hold people together. Olympics and CWG can birth a sporting culture, and back it by offering quality infrastructure. A spectacle by the Sabarmati can surely help raise India’s stature as a sporting hub, and, hopefully, a sporting power.
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