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The curtains came down on the 2026 Commonwealth Games after 11 days of competition, with Scotland formally handing over the Commonwealth Games flag and ceremonial baton to India, hosts of the landmark centenary edition in 2030, during a glittering closing ceremony on Sunday.
The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held in Ahmedabad, making India only the second nation after Australia to host the multi-sport event on more than one occasion. India had previously staged the Games in New Delhi in 2010. The Commonwealth Games flag and baton were presented to India's representatives, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha, and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi as part of the official handover ceremony. The closing ceremony began with a celebration of Scotland's rich cultural heritage before transitioning into a colourful showcase of India's cultural diversity and centuries-old traditions. One of the highlights of the ceremony was a unique Indo-Scottish cultural collaboration, with musicians and dancers from both nations coming together for a vibrant 'jugalbandi' that symbolised the passing of the baton from Glasgow to Ahmedabad. India also had plenty to celebrate on the sporting front, finishing fourth in the medals table with a haul of 39 medals, 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, to cap off a successful campaign. Although India's tally was lower than the 61 medals won in Birmingham in 2022, the context tells a different story. Thirty of those medals had come in sports that were dropped from the Glasgow programme. With only 122 athletes compared to 210 four years ago, India still managed to maintain its fourth-place finish while producing an even better medal conversion rate, with 38 athletes returning home with medals. Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh was the only Indian to win two medals. With the ceremonial handover complete, the focus now shifts to Ahmedabad, which will host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030. (ANI)
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