The Gujarat government is eyeing a 500-acre land parcel for the development of a sports city in preparation for the 2026 Olympics, which it is planning to host.
Sources said the state government will acquire land at Godhavi located along the proposed 90m Ring Road for the purpose.
Strategically positioned on the western side of Ahmedabad, Godhavi boasts of excellent connectivity, as the new 90m Ring Road, the extension of Thaltej-Shilaj 40m road, the extension of Sindhu Bhavan 36m road, and the extension of the 45m VIP road intersect at this location.
A government official said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a commitment that India will submit bids to host the 2029 Youth Olympics and the 2036 Olympics. With favourable prospects, India may have the privilege of hosting both these prestigious events. Among potential host cities, Ahmedabad is emerging as the most preferable choice.”
“This comprehensive accessibility ensures that the sports city can be reached conveniently from various areas within Ahmedabad, city as well as from the airport, railway station, bus rapid transit system (BRTS), and the metro stations,” a source close to the development said.
Sources said that the Centre, the Indian Olympic Committee and the state government had already started preparations for these hosting responsibilities.
The state government has embarked on a project worth more than Rs 4,000 crore to create sports facilities in and around Ahmedabad as part of its plan to host the Games.
Alongside Ahmedabad, various other cities in Gujarat and India may also organise specific Olympics events.
In the earlier plan, the state government had planned a Games village with apartments for sportspersons along the periphery of Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Motera but negotiations with plot owners for making changes in two town planning (TP) schemes (Motera-Koteshwar and Sabarmati) took more time. Therefore, the authorities are contemplating shifting a major chunk of the planned sports city to Godhavi, said sources.
Another senior officer said, “Sports city will bring world class infrastructure to Ahmedabad.”
He added, “Ahmedabad will be on the world map for sports, and it will be known as the sports hub of India. This will change the image of Ahmedabad from a trading hub to a sports hub.”
“The Games will bring a large number of tourists from across the world. They will need lodging, shopping and entertainment facilities on a significant scale and it will also give a fillip to the city’s real estate sector,” he added.
