Olympics 2036: India submits letter of intent to host Olympic, Paralympics Games, say reports

Nine other nations have shown interest in hosting Olympics 2036 and Paralympics.

In a historical move, India has taken the first step in potentially hosting the Olympics 2036 and Paralympic Games by submitting a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission on October 1 according to reports. India though aren’t the only country to express an interest to host Olympics 2036.

Nine other nations have joined the bidding process. According to a report from IANS, the other nations are—Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara-Monterrey-Tijuana), Indonesia (Nusantara), Turkey (Istanbul), Poland (Warsaw, Krakow), Egypt (New Administrative Capital), and South Korea (Seoul-Incheon). Should their bid be accepted, India plan to host the Olympic Games in Ahmedabad.

The commission is now expected to take a look at and evaluate each bid and then make a recommendation to the IOC Executive Committee on the potential host nation.

India’s ‘Letter of Intent’ comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first spoken about the country potentially hosting the Olympic Games 2036 at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the Olympics on Indian soil in the year 2036. This is the age-old dream and aspiration of 140 crore Indians. This dream has to be built with your cooperation and support, the PM had said.

Recently in an interaction with the athletes on Independence Day, the PM had further shared on India preparing to potentially host the 2036 Olympics and asked athletes for their inputs.

India has taken a massive step towards hosting the Olympics and Paralympics 2036 by formally submitting a 'Letter of Intent' to the IOC. 🥳🙏🎯#Olympics2036 #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/XHshHc8uOS

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) November 5, 2024

The nation’s top sports officials, including Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, have actively promoted this bid at international events, emphasizing the inclusion of traditional Indian sports like yoga and kabaddi if the bid is successful.

The IOA has been facing several internal conflicts over the past few months which has caused considerable worry among the athletes and the officials. While necessary steps are being taken for hosting the games, IOA will hope to gain back their credibility as an organization. They have been joined by other organizations who are taking steps to ensure the nation is considered eligible for hosting the quadrennial event.

Also Read: Why infighting within the IOA could derail India’s Olympic hosting hopes

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has also prepared a report detailing necessary actions for a successful application, highlighting sports such as chess, T20 cricket, and squash as key areas for medal potential.

Hosting the Olympics not only requires a huge amount of funding but also transparency in the system. While India has hosted international events in the past, it has not hosted events in a such a grand scale equalling to the summer games. While the nation has taken the first step, the next years will determine where the 2036 games will take place.

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