Gandhinagar: Deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi on Wednesday said the city would set a new benchmark in hosting 2030 Commonwealth Games by providing world-class infrastructure and the best possible facilities for athletes from across the globe.He also handed over the CWG flag to chief minister Bhupendra Patel at the cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar. Two para athletes from Gujarat, Rakesh Bhatt and Rohit Majgul, who represented India at the Games in Glasgow, were present on the occasion.Sanghavi said Gujarat govt is committed to ensuring that the Games are organised on an unprecedented scale. “Ahmedabad will set a new benchmark in organising CWG. Arrangements will be such that athletes will be able to give their best performance. Over the past two years, Ahmedabad has already been lauded as the best host for a number of international sporting events,” he said.Highlighting the Centre’s focus on sports, Sanghavi said Union govt had increased the sports budget eight-fold, providing a major boost to the sector and accelerating the creation of sports infrastructure across the country.He said Ahmedabad had witnessed a significant expansion of sports facilities in recent years, adding that the infrastructure being developed would benefit not only athletes from Gujarat but also from across India.Referring to India’s performance at the Glasgow event, Sanghavi said athletes from smaller towns had excelled because of improved opportunities and access to international-level coaching and training. He noted that despite several sports in which India traditionally performs well not being included in the 2026 CWG, the country secured fourth place in the overall medal tally.Sanghavi attributed India’s sporting success to flagship initiatives such as Fit India and Khelo India, describing them as key drivers in expanding the country’s sporting ecosystem under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
