Urban Quest | Ahmedabad’s Rise As A Global Sporting Hub Hinges On Transforming Urban Mobility |
“Looking forward to welcoming the world," is what a jubilant Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed on the evening of Wednesday, 26 November, as news broke that Ahmedabad had officially been awarded the hosting rights for the Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030 — the second-biggest sporting event in the world, next only to the Summer Olympics.
Announcing the decision, Commonwealth Games Federation President Donald Rukare said, “This is the start of a golden era for us. India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance."
The above developments have overnight raised the bar for Ahmedabad to become future-ready, with the dream of hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics coming a notch closer.
The Game Changer
I rest my case regarding the substantive benefits with two examples:
I begin with Delhi.
One, the Benefits that Accrued to Delhi: The Asian Games 1951, Asia’s first major multi-sport event, jump-started the creation of Delhi’s sporting infrastructure in a short timeframe — including the National Stadium and related venues.
Though the economic impact was modest owing to the smaller scale of the event and the nascent stage of India’s economy, the 1951 Games laid the groundwork for Delhi’s later urban infrastructure efforts, such as improved transport and communication lines.
However, it was the Asian Games 1982 that proved truly transformative, with major contributions including:
Estimates suggest that the 1982 Games accelerated Delhi’s development by a decade, upgrading transport, hospitality, and utilities that catalysed urban modernisation and contributed to regional GDP growth in the early–mid 1980s.
Held at an estimated final cost of Rs 18,532 crore, the 2010 Commonwealth Games also had ripple effects on Delhi’s economy. They created and upgraded sporting facilities; the new Games Village became a well-connected, high-end residential address; the airport was modernised; new hospitality destinations emerged; urban infrastructure was upgraded; the road network expanded significantly; and 123 km of Delhi Metro’s Phase II was completed in the compressed timeframe of three and a half years.
Enhanced international visibility for Delhi was an added bonus.
Collectively, these three global sporting events contributed significantly to shaping the Delhi we know today.
Secondly, South Korea Reborn: Hosting the Olympics is a costly affair, and the event is often viewed through the narrow lens of immediate financial return. But for a fast-growing country like India, holding the Olympics — the world’s biggest mega sporting event — after a major regional multi-sport event (the Commonwealth Games) can be many times more transformative.
The 1988 Seoul........