Mumbai, Oct. 16 -- Ahmedabad will likely host the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in 2030, as the competition's executive board on Wednesday recommended the Gujarat city for the centenary edition of the event. Now, only a final greenlight during the organisation's general assembly next month, a process expected to be a formality, remains before the CWG's return to India is ratified. Nigeria's capital Abuja was the only other contender in fray. The proposal will be before the general assembly of the Commonwealth Sport, the event's governing body, in Glasgow on November 26. This will not only bring CWG back to India after two decades - New Delhi hosted the 2010 edition - but may also be a significant boost in the country's bid to host the 2036 Olympics, for which Ahmedabad has been put through a significant sporting infrastructure transformation. Union home minister Amit Shah said it was a "day of immense joy and pride for India". "... It is a grand endorsement of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's relentless efforts to place India on the world sports map," he said on X. Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya termed it "a huge moment for Indian sports". "Grateful to Commonwealth Sport's Executive Board for recommending Ahmedabad as the proposed host city for the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a proud milestone for our nation," he added on X. Backed by the Union cabinet, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had launched the bid to bring CWG to the country earlier this year. Officials of the Commonwealth Sport also visited Ahmedabad a few times to inspect the infrastructure. Once India entered the race, it was always going to be the frontrunner to host an event that has, in the recent past, found few takers. In a statement, Commonwealth Sport said Ahmedabad had been recommended after "a detailed process overseen by the Commonwealth Sport Evaluation Committee, which assessed candidate cities against a wide range of criteria including technical delivery, athlete experience, infrastructure, governance, and alignment with Commonwealth Sport values". Even before India's ambitions of hosting the 2030 CWG and 2036 Olympics were made public, Ahmedabad was being ramped up with multi-sport infrastructure. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, which includes the gigantic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium that hosted the ODI World Cup final in 2023, is being looked at as the central venue for the CWG, apart from the newly completed Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura. "Ahmedabad will be ready to host the Commonwealth Games," ID Nanavati, secretary of the Gujarat State Olympic Association, said. "Almost all the stadiums that are being newly built are either ready or will be soon. The state government is fully behind this project."...