Anurag Thakur, Union Sports Minister stated that India is “seriously” considering a bid to host the Olympic Games in 2036. Anurag Thakur stated that the time was right for the country to host the Olympic Games. India can submit a bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games because the following three Olympic Games will be held in Paris, Los Angeles and Brisbane in 2024, 2028 and 2032 respectively.
“If India is making news in every sector, from manufacturing to services, then why not in the field of sports?”, said Thakur.
“India is looking very seriously at bidding for the 2036 Olympics,” Thakur added. India has already hosted Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has acknowledged that it is in preliminary talks with 10 cities but has not provided a timeline for when it intends to select the host city for the 2036 games.
“Gujarat has several times expressed interest in hosting the Olympics,” he said. “They have the infrastructure … It’s also part of the state government’s manifesto to host the Olympics in Gujarat,” Anurag Thakur said.
Potential competitors for the Games include Qatar, which hosted this year’s FIFA World Cup, as well as Indonesia and South Korea. Despite fierce domestic opposition, Germany is considering whether to submit another bid for the Olympics.
Thakur said his government would consult with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and create a roadmap before the IOC session in Mumbai the next year.
“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.”
New Delhi hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 and the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Thakur suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat would be presented as a potential Olympic venue.