India 2030 Commonwealth Games will be the biggest, best ever – Sumariwalla

...World Athletics Vice President backs expanded sports programme, praises 2026 organisers

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye 

 

  

India, a country known for its culture, cuisine and contrast, is promising to raise the bar for the Commonwealth Games when it hosts the multi-sport extravaganza in 2030, with World Athletics Vice President, Adille Sumariwalla, projecting an edition that will be bigger, better and more competitive than all previous Games.

Sumariwalla, one of the leading figures in global athletics, said India’s 2030 Games would combine world-class competition with improved infrastructure, facilities and hospitality while also expanding the number of sports and events on the programme.

Speaking exclusively to FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG’s Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye, Sumariwalla, who is also President of the Athletics Federation of India and Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association, said India is determined to make the 2030 Games a landmark edition.

“I think you should expect the best Commonwealth Games ever in terms of competition, infrastructure, facilities and hospitality. It will be the best Games ever,” he said.

India’s return to the Commonwealth Games spotlight is already generating significant expectations, particularly given its huge population, growing sporting ambitions and expanding investment in sports infrastructure.

Sumariwalla stated that the 2030 edition would also break away from recent limitations by increasing the number of sports and events, thereby creating opportunities for more athletes to compete.

“Of course it will be bigger because they are going to do more sports, there will be more events, so the Games will be bigger than all the other Games,” he explained.

He stressed that the objective was not merely to stage a larger event, but to use the Games to broaden participation across different sporting disciplines.

“We are very happy to do more events and give more people the opportunity to participate in more sports. We want to give all the sports as much opportunity as possible,” Sumariwalla added.

‘They kept the Games alive’

While looking forward to India’s hosting responsibility, Sumariwalla also paid tribute to the organisers of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, commending them for delivering the event despite being handed the hosting responsibility at short notice.

He emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the Games made the organisers’ task particularly difficult, but they still managed to put together a successful event.

“I think they did a good job, considering the conditions in which they got the Games at the last minute. When you consider all of that, I think they delivered very good Games,” he said.

The 2026 Games featured a reduced sporting programme, with some disciplines, including wrestling, left out after the number of participating athletes and events was cut.

Sumariwalla said it would have been unrealistic to expect the organisers to accommodate every sport under such circumstances, insisting that their biggest achievement was ensuring the Games survived.

“You cannot expect them to accommodate all the sports when they had to do so at the last minute. But at least they kept the Games alive. I think we need to give them credit for keeping the Games alive,” he said.

The Indian sports administrator also expressed optimism about the future of athletics, saying the emergence of young athletes from different parts of the world was a strong indication that the sport was continuing to expand globally.

For Sumariwalla, athletics remains the foundation of sport and its appeal is being strengthened by increased participation, better athlete development and advances in technology and sports science.

“This just shows that athletics globally is on the rise. It is a mother sport. If you can run, jump and throw, you can play any sport,” he said.

He also pointed to the evolution of World Athletics’ Kids’ Athletics programme as a key initiative in attracting a new generation to the sport.

“Our Kids’ Program, which is a signature programme of World Athletics, is also being reintroduced in a new format, a new avatar. All these things will contribute towards the improvement,” he said.

Sumariwalla further identified technology and sports science as major contributors to the improvement of athletic performances, noting that developments in equipment, recovery and injury treatment were helping athletes compete at higher levels.

“Everything is improving. Technology is improving, spikes are improving, shoes are improving, recovery is improving, and people with injuries are getting treated faster. It is a combination of a lot of things. It is not just one thing,” he explained.