Ahmedabad: The national budget for sports was a mere Rs 1,643 crores just a decade ago. Fast forward to this September, Ahmedabad unveiled the new Veer Savarkar Sports Complex — a single facility worth ₹825 crore, and the largest of its kind in India. With Ahmedabad positioned as its crown jewel, this is a clarion call that Gujarat means business when it comes to sports.
And it has been for the past 15 years. The Khel Mahakumbh, an initiative by the Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG), was first organised in 2010. It is one of the largest sports events in the country, with over 50 lakh participants coming from small villages to large cities. The state is building the scaffolding of a sports-driven culture with an eye on producing Olympians from Gujarat.
Rise of urban sports academies
Speaking to coaches and “sportspreneurs” across Ahmedabad, a common refrain emerges. That grassroots growth comes from government, but excellence is forged in academies.
Two decades ago, most non-cricket disciplines were confined to private clubs with expensive memberships. Today, every catchment area hosts a sports academy. There has been a tenfold increase in participation in racket sports itself. Nationally accredited head-coaches, Pushpendra Rajpurohit (Tennis) and Unnikrishna Varma (Badminton) attest to this.
New formats — ‘box-cricket’ and football turfs — have mushroomed in every corner. Additionally, running and cycling clubs have spawned, signalling that a full-fledged sports culture is taking shape.
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A city ready to play and pay
When it comes to demand, sports has taken a bite out of the entertainment pie.
The reasons are:
1) Increase in disposable income
2) Increased awareness regarding fitness across all age groups
3) Need for physical outlets given the high-stress lifestyles
4) Access to socialisation and community
Ahmedabad’s expanding western periphery and GIFT City corridor have brought an influx of young, skilled professionals, mostly from double-income households, with time on their hands. Unlike previous generations, for this demographic — single or parents — affordability and intent to spend isn’t a barrier. Sports, increasingly, is a lifestyle fix. Limiting children’s screen time and helping adults socialise in a new city.
Real estate — the real game-changer
What sets Ahmedabad apart is land availability. Across the city, vast tracts are held by trusts, farmers, developers, and municipal bodies. As Ahmedabad’s boundaries expand, many of these land parcels have fallen within city limits, making access to land the defining factor in sports infrastructure economics.
Partnerships with developers or long-term leases from municipalities make projects feasible. Paying market rates is just not an option. As coach Pushpendra notes, “Two acres in far-away Makarba could cost ₹8 lakh a month compared to ₹50,000 or less through civic partnerships.”
The sport bucking this real-estate constraint with elan is Pickleball. This phenomenon in Ahmedabad has been extensively covered by ThePrint. This highly profitable sport is gender-neutral, skill-agnostic and great cardio, making it a very marketable lifestyle product. “Pair it with the city’s growing love for speciality coffee and you get a winning combination”, said Shonika, owner of TopSpin, a lifestyle/Table Tennis destination that blends sport with imported coffee beans.
IPL — the league that launched a thousand leagues
The massive success of the IPL is a watershed moment in Indian sports. It proved that sports could be an incredibly profitable commercial venture. The glamour, the glitz, and the spectacle of it didn’t go unnoticed even in the most far-flung corners of the state.
Kuntal Shah, co-founder of India’s leading sports-tech startup CricHeroes, said: “After IPL, everyone, even at the grassroots, wanted their own league.”
Not just in cricket, but in every sport.
Table Tennis just had its second Gujarat Super League at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.
The recently constructed Gujarat University Tennis Stadium will host the Tennis Premier League (TPL), India’s foremost tennis event, including top-ranked Indian and international players. Ramku Patgir, owner of the Gujarat Panthers, said that it was the people’s will to put Gujarat squarely on the nation’s sporting map.
The craze for leagues is incredible, especially among sports enthusiasts, who now find themselves to be owners of local sports teams. They loved the IPL, especially its adornments, and wanted to replicate that experience — the money, the rivalry, the glory — in their own neighbourhood.
The quest for global sporting gold
Public-private-partnerships (PPP) like TransStadia University, with its massive EKA Arena, already host events like the Pro Kabaddi League and Super Cross. It will be a venue for the proposed 2030 Commonwealth Games, along with the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. Ahmedabad city also awaits the completion of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Sports Enclave — a Rs 4,600 crore mega-project, which already houses the world’s largest cricket stadium.
The city that was once devoid of any noticeable sports culture now boasts arenas, leagues, and sports universities aspiring to reach global standards.
It is game-on in Gujarat to chase down the big prize, bringing the 2036 Olympics torch home to Apnu Amdavad.
Johan Jose a TPSJ alum, currently interning with ThePrint.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)