India ready to bid for 2036 Olympics: Anurag Thakur
First Published: 28th December, 2022 13:09 IST
A roadmap will be presented before the full members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the IOC session in Mumbai in September 2023
India will bid for hosting the Olympic Games in 2036. A roadmap will be presented before the full members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the IOC session in Mumbai in September 2023, Union sports minister Anurag Thakur told TOI in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
Thakur said the government will back the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) bid for hosting the Games and that Gujarat’s Ahmedabad will likely be the ‘host city’ with world-class sporting infrastructure available there. The Union minister said that with India having previously hosted the 1982 Asian Games and 2010 Commonwealth Games, the next logical pit stop was the Summer Olympics.
“If India can host the G20 Presidency in such a big way, I am sure the government will be able to pitch in to host the Olympics in the country along with the IOA. We all know that the slots are booked till 2032. But 2036 onwards, we have hopes and I am sure India will fully prepare and bid for the Olympics,” Thakur said.
Asked if India was ready to host the Olympics in 2036, Thakur said: “Yes, India is ready to positively bid for it. There is no reason for us to say ‘No’. If India is putting in so much effort to promote sports, I can assure you that we will not only host the Olympics, we will host it in a big way. This is the right time to host the Games. If India is making news in every sector from manufacturing to services, then why not in sports? India is looking very seriously at bidding for the 2036 Olympics.”
Thakur said the government will prepare the roadmap in consultation with IOA to be presented during the IOC session. “Yes, we can present the roadmap to them (IOC members) by that time (September 2023). The IOC session is a prestigious event for India and whatever steps have to be taken to bid along with the IOA, the government will support them. It has to be a joint preparation.”
He added: “Gujarat has several times expressed interest in hosting the Olympics. They have the infrastructure — from hotels, hostels, airports and sports complexes. They are serious about the bid. It’s also part of the state government’s manifesto to host the Olympics in Gujarat.”
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