'Ahmedabad Experience Centre' in Glasgow promotes culture, sports diplomacy for CWG 2030: Gujarat Dy CM Sanghavi
Glasgow, July 29
As India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi highlighted Ahmedabad's efforts to showcase its sporting infrastructure and cultural heritage ahead of hosting the centenary edition of the Games in 2030, announcing the setup of a dedicated 'Ahmedabad Experience Centre' in Glasgow from July 30 to August 2 during the ongoing CWG 2026.
The 'Ahmedabad Experience Centre', designed to highlight the culture, world-class infrastructure, and hospitality of Gujarat and India to international sports federations and athletes, will be inaugurated on Wednesday.
Speaking on the initiative, Sanghavi stated that the facility aims to connect the global sporting community with India as Ahmedabad prepares to host major international multi-sport events in the coming years. He said that a delegation team has been actively engaged in ground-zero training sessions everyday to study operational nuances and standards required for hosting large-scale international tournaments.
"We are going to host such a big sporting event in Ahmedabad in 2030. With the help of the international federations, all the games have their own rules. There is a special arrangement," Sanghvi told reporters.
"And especially when thousands of players are going to become guests of Ahmedabad, then what is the expectation in their housing facilities? Staying on ground zero, our team is participating in the training sessions from 7 am to 9 am every day. Along with that, we have made a very good Ahmedabad Experience Centre here. Which will be inaugurated tomorrow evening," he said.
Sanghavi further stated that the experience centre will celebrate India's diversity, authentic dishes representing various states across India will be served at the centre through August 2.
"In the Ahmedabad Experience Centre, the sports federations and athletes from all over the world will also become guests of Ahmedabad. It offers a chance to showcase Ahmedabad's culture, its infrastructure, and the facilities developed in Gujarat and India. What is the culture of Ahmedabad? What is the infrastructure of Ahmedabad? What kind of facilities are there in Gujarat and Bharat?" he added.
Explaining the objective of the initiative, Sanghavi stated, "For sports diplomacy, a very unique effort has been made through the Ahmedabad Experience Centre. Through this new effort, an excellent attempt is underway to connect the world to India through Ahmedabad."
"Along with that, small sessions have also been held there. Where the federations and players of many countries will also be present. So, through a new effort, an excellent effort has been made to connect the world to India through Ahmedabad," Sanghavi concluded.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but I hope they focus on practical aspects too - athletes' accommodation, transport connectivity, and medical facilities. Cultural showcasing is important, but the real test will be execution. Also, hope they involve local communities meaningfully rather than just making it a government showpiece. Let's see how the training sessions in Glasgow translate to ground reality.
As someone from Gujarat, I'm proud but also cautious. Remember CWG 2010 in Delhi? There were massive delays and corruption allegations. Hope they learn from past mistakes and ensure transparency. Ahmedabad has potential, but 2030 is still 4 years away - need consistent planning, not just hype. The food ideas sound nice though - Gujarati dhokla and fafda for world athletes! 😄
Sports diplomacy is a smart approach! By engaging with international federations early, we can influence rules and standards to suit our infrastructure. Also, showcasing regional cuisine from across India - not just Gujarati - is a great way to represent our diversity. Hope the experience centre has good interactive exhibits, not just boring presentations.
Nice PR move, but I worry about the cost. Setting up experience centres abroad, sending delegations, training sessions - all this spends taxpayer money. Hope the returns justify the investment. Also, why only Ahmedabad? India has many cities that could co-host - what about Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Chennai? Centralisation doesn't help overall development.
Finally, India is taking sports infrastructure seriously! CWG 2030 will be a game-changer for Indian sports. The early groundwork shows maturity in planning. And involving international federations from now for rule compliance is smart - better than last-minute scrambles. Ahmedabad in 2030 will be an unforgettable experience for athletes worldwide, I'm sure! 🇮🇳🏆