India will play host to the centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, which is also the proposed host city for the country’s 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid.
India last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010 in New Delhi amid allegations of corruption, forced evictions, labor rights abuses, and trafficking of women and girls. As Indian authorities undertake new construction for sports infrastructure and public transport, they should put human rights, including workers’ rights, at the center of these efforts.
India has increased its investments in sport facilities beyond the game of cricket and has taken some steps to develop youth and grassroots programs. In July, the government announced the National Sports Policy 2025, promising athlete welfare, a legal framework for sport governance, and inclusion of women, persons with disabilities, and people from economically and socially marginalized communities. This was a needed step, but poor governance and abuse is entrenched in Indian sport so implementation and enforcement are key.
In 2024, the nongovernmental Sport and Rights Alliance documented systemic abuse and sexual harassment in Indian women’s wrestling, finding that Indian sports bodies and the justice system failed to protect women athletes from abuse or provide effective remedies. A 2023 UN Women and UNESCO report found that “approximately one third of female athletes in India experienced sexual abuse, harassment or inappropriate behaviour by a male coach.”
Since India last hosted the Games, Commonwealth Sport (formerly known as the Commonwealth Games Federation) took its own steps to embed respect for human rights, in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It has outlined commitments to support athletes’ freedom of expression and introduced a Safeguarding Policy, both applying to athletes during the Games.
As India prepares for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the government should ensure strong human rights safeguards for athletes, women and girls, construction workers, and all affected communities. As part of this process, Commonwealth Sport should act to ensure that the Indian authorities conduct meaningful stakeholder engagement with a wide range of diverse stakeholders, including from religious and ethnic minorities, Dalits, and other marginalized communities.
India has an opportunity to set a new standard for the Commonwealth Games, one that safeguards human rights, and by doing so, can also give its Olympic bid a boost.
