Flag handed over at state Cabinet meeting

The Commonwealth Games flag that travelled from Glasgow's closing ceremony was formally presented to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during a state Cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar on August 5, according to reports by The Tribune and IANS. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who had received the flag on India's behalf in Glasgow alongside Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha, carried it back and handed it to Patel at the meeting.

Officials said the flag will remain in Gujarat through 2030, when Ahmedabad hosts the Commonwealth Games as the centenary edition of the event and only the second Indian city after New Delhi in 2010 to do so.

Where

A state Cabinet meeting held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on August 5, 2026.

Who presented it

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who received the flag in Glasgow, handed it to CM Bhupendra Patel.

What happens next

The flag stays in Gujarat as a symbol of hosting responsibility until the 2030 Games.

Glasgow medallists among those present

IANS reported that para-athletes Rakesh Bhatt and Rohit Majgul, along with para table tennis player Sonal Patel, all of whom represented India at Glasgow 2026, attended the Cabinet meeting. Senior state officials present included Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Additional Chief Secretaries Ashwini Kumar and M. Thennarasan, and Secretary Rahul Gupta, according to the same report.

The presence of Gujarat's Glasgow competitors at the ceremony was framed by officials as a link between the athletes who have just returned from the Games and the state's preparations for hosting the next edition.

Sanghavi on infrastructure and youth sport

Speaking at the event, Sanghavi said the Games "will be organised with grandeur and with the best possible arrangements for the athletes" and would be conducted so that "every athlete can deliver his best performance," according to The Tribune. He said the journey to the 2030 Commonwealth Games had "officially begun."

Sanghavi also linked the preparations to two central government campaigns, saying the state would "advance the anti-drug campaign and the Fit India Movement so that the youth of the country receive maximum opportunities in the sports sector," per The Tribune. IANS reported he separately connected the effort to the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Drug-Free India Campaign) and said district-level sports complexes across Gujarat would be used to run grassroots programmes.

Infrastructure push

Sanghavi told The Tribune that new sports infrastructure has been developed "at a rapid pace" in Ahmedabad in recent years.

Grassroots link

IANS reported that district sports complexes across Gujarat are planned as venues for grassroots athlete-development programmes.

Context: India's Glasgow 2026 campaign

The ceremony came days after India closed its Glasgow 2026 campaign in fourth place on the medal table with 39 medals, comprising 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, as reported by IANS. Sanghavi told the Cabinet meeting that "the success of these champions reflects the sporting spirit that will define this historic journey" toward Ahmedabad 2030.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who received the Commonwealth Games flag on behalf of Gujarat?

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi received it in Glasgow and formally presented it to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at a Cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar on August 5, 2026.

Where will the Commonwealth Games flag stay until 2030?

Officials said the flag will remain in Gujarat until the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.

Which athletes attended the flag presentation ceremony?

Para-athletes Rakesh Bhatt and Rohit Majgul, and para table tennis player Sonal Patel, all of whom competed for India at Glasgow 2026, were present, according to IANS.

How did India finish at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games?

India finished fourth in the medal table with 39 medals: 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, per IANS.

What did Harsh Sanghavi say about preparations for Ahmedabad 2030?

He said the Games would be organised "with grandeur and with the best possible arrangements for the athletes" and that the journey to 2030 had officially begun, per The Tribune.

Sources

The Tribune  |  IANS Live