Nigeria on Wednesday lost the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. It lost he bid to Ahmedabad, India. Commonwealth Sport announced that the Indian city has been chosen ahead of a rival bid from Abuja in Nigeria, to host the event, which will be the Commonwealth Games’ centenary.

It is the second time in 20 years that the event will have been held in the world’s most populous nation.

The city of Ahmedabad in the west of the country has been chosen ahead of Abuja in Nigeria by an evaluation commission from governing body Commonwealth Sport.

The decision to hold the games there in five years’ time is now expected to be ratified at the organization’s General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26.

Ahmedabad can boast the Narendra Modi Stadium – the largest in the world, with a capacity of 132,000 – which hosted the Cricket World Cup final in 2023.

The city has a population in excess of five million people, and has even been suggested as a potential bidder to host a future Olympic Games.

“We see the 2030 Games as a powerful opportunity to inspire our youth, strengthen international partnerships and contribute to a shared future across the Commonwealth,” said Dr. P. T. Usha, president of Commonwealth Games Association India.

The Games first visited India in 2010 when Delhi hosted.

It is the second time Abuja has missed out on staging the Commonwealths, having been overlooked for the 2014 edition in favour of Glasgow. (Adapted from a report by Channels TV)