There is this myth being widely circulated that there is immense prestige in India being awarded the Commonwealth Games. Actually no nation wants to host it because of high costs involved, also a history of corruption has scared off most potential hosts. Let's take an indepth look. 2010: New Delhi CWG Budget: Rs 1,620 crore, Actual spend: Rs 11,419 crore. The Swiss Timing contract alone was awarded at Rs141 cr while the actual value was only Rs 50 cr. Estimated corruption: Rs 5,000–8,000 crore (CVC/CAG) The 2026 CWG were originally awarded to Victoria (Australia) but it withdrew due to projected costs. Now Glasgow (Scotland) is hosting a slimmed-down edition featuring only 10 sporting disciplines. 2030: Only two bids were received, India (Ahmedabad) and Nigeria. India has been officially awarded the games. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is about promoting sports nationally. Recently a young national basketball player died after an iron pole collapsed on his chest, a tragic reminder of how little actual infrastructure or safety exists outside these high-profile, money-spinning spectacles. In the end, multi-sport Games (Olympics, Commonwealth, Asian) only survive globally by constantly cutting scale and costs.
