Amdavad Takes Commonwealth Flag for 2030 as Glasgow Says £162.6m Games Saved Event
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 3
Amdavad Takes Commonwealth Flag for 2030 as Glasgow Says £162.6m Games Saved Event
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 3
Summary
Amdavad formally received the Commonwealth flag at Glasgow’s closing ceremony, confirming the Indian city as host of the centenary 2030 Games.
Phil Batty said Glasgow had "saved and reinvented" the event after Victoria quit in 2023, arguing the scaled-back model proved the Games can survive with existing venues and lower costs.
The privately funded Glasgow edition was delivered in 18 months at a projected £162.6 million, far below Glasgow 2014’s £543 million and Birmingham 2022’s £680 million.
Across 11 days, 74 nations and territories competed in 215 medal events, with organisers saying more than 430,000 tickets were sold despite visible empty seats.
Batty said the compact format offers a template for future hosts—from twin-nation bids to multi-island editions—while Malta’s 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games and Amdavad 2030 provide a clearer pipeline.