Ahmedabad/Glasgow, Aug 1 (IANS) Ahmedabad’s preparations to host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games will formally begin on Sunday when the city receives the Commonwealth Games flag and the Host Baton during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The symbolic handover will mark Ahmedabad’s official transition into its role as host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the multi-sport event.
First held in Hamilton city of Canada in 1930, the Commonwealth Games will complete a century when they are staged in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi is attending the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where Ahmedabad will be officially welcomed as the next host city.
Alongside cultural performances during the closing ceremony, the Commonwealth Games flag and the Host Baton will be formally handed over to representatives of Ahmedabad, signalling the start of the city’s hosting journey.
The handover ceremony will also offer audiences in Glasgow their first preview of Ahmedabad 2030 through a programme highlighting India’s cultural heritage and Gujarat’s identity.
A key feature of the ceremony is the King’s Baton Relay, one of the Commonwealth Games’ longest-standing traditions.
According to Commonwealth Sport, the relay will travel across all 74 Commonwealth nations and territories.
For the first time in the history of the Games, each participating nation and territory will receive its own baton, allowing every destination to customise and decorate it to reflect its culture, heritage and creativity.
Each baton carries part of a message from The UK King Charles III, who places the opening message in the relay.
The baton is then carried by individuals recognised for making positive contributions to society before ultimately reaching the host city ahead of the Games.
The King’s Baton Relay was first introduced at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
The Glasgow handover segment has been designed in three parts. The opening act will commemorate the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’.
This will be followed by a classical Indian ‘jugalbandi’ featuring sitar maestro Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma and Scottish piper Ross Ainslie, symbolising the connection between Glasgow 2026 and Ahmedabad 2030.
The concluding segment will present a visual journey across India, with a particular focus on Gujarat.
Glasgow 2026 Chief Marketing and Ceremonies Officer Louisa Mahon said the handover “is far more than a ceremonial tradition”.
“It would bring together the spirit of two nations on a single stage through a fusion of Indian sitar and Scottish pipes while also celebrating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram,” she noted.
Mahon added that audiences in Glasgow would receive “their first glimpse of what awaits them at the Ahmedabad 2030 Commonwealth Games”.
Director of Ceremonies for Glasgow 2026, Chanda Singh, said the programme had been designed to present “an India that is confident while remaining deeply connected to its traditions”.
“Ahmedabad 2030 would mark the centenary of the Commonwealth Games and that the ceremony in Glasgow would serve as the opening chapter of this historic journey,” she added.
–IANS
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