Rahul Dravid and Saina Nehwal named athlete representatives on proposed Ahmedabad 2030 CWG organising committee
On October 30, 2026, the Sports Ministry nominated former India captain Rahul Dravid and Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal as athlete representatives to the proposed Organising Committee for the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.
The committee is expected to be chaired by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who holds the state sports portfolio, and to include representation from the Indian Olympic Association and the Commonwealth Games Association of India in Lt. Gen. Harpal Singh. The IOA is scheduled to hold elections in December. "Yes, Rahul Dravid and Saina Nehwal have been nominated to the proposed Organising Committee. Jinal Mehta and Ananya Birla are the two recommendations from the private sector," a Sports Ministry source told PTI.
Saina Nehwal is identified in the announcement as the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist and is reported to have joined the ruling BJP after retiring from competition. The release also notes Dravid's post-retirement role as a coach and states he guided the national team to the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy.
The two private-sector names mentioned by the Sports Ministry source are Jinal Mehta and Ananya Birla; both are connected to Indian Premier League franchises. Mehta is described as the head of Torrent Pharmaceuticals and the chairman of Gujarat Titans, while Ananya Birla is said to be associated with the consortium that owns Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Officials expect the Ahmedabad Organising Committee to comprise 12 to 15 members and say it was to be constituted earlier this year after Ahmedabad secured the hosting bid in November 2025. The planned legal vehicle for the OC is a not-for-profit company, a structure the source links to the approach used by the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General after the 2010 Delhi Games.
Budgetary details in the announcement put the operational cost for the Ahmedabad Games at approximately Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 crore, with a Sports Ministry grant-in-aid commitment of Rs 2,000 crore to be released as and when Gujarat raises a demand. The ministry statement clarifies that this operational funding excludes capital expenditure on public infrastructure, some of which will be delivered by the urban development department and will not be counted as Games expenditure because the facilities are intended to serve beyond the event.
The statement also addresses the Games' sporting programme, noting India plans to include 15 to 17 disciplines on the roster and contrasting that with Glasgow's edition, which featured only 10 disciplines and omitted sports such as hockey, wrestling and cricket. The OC is expected to include a chairman, a vice chairman, a CEO and representatives from Commonwealth Sport.
Ahmedabad's Games are scheduled for October 2030; the organising committee structure, membership and funding arrangements outlined by the Sports Ministry will inform preparations ahead of that date.
