Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur outlines intentions to propose a blueprint for the 2036 Olympics bid

Anurag Thakur, the Indian Sports Minister, has revealed preparations to present a proposal for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai next year. The Session has been moved from May to September or October due to governance issues at the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), although the election of PT Usha as President earlier this month averted the threat of suspension. India has never hosted the Olympic Games, but the state of Gujarat has proposed a candidature for 2036 that would include an Opening Ceremony in Ahmedabad, the country’s largest city.

Thakur used Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assumption of the G20 Presidency earlier this month as an illustration of how the nation could host the Olympics. Director General Christophe De Kepper provided an update, saying that the IOC is now in discussion with at least 10 nations about potential venues for the 2036 Olympics. Brisbane 2032 was the first summer edition of the Games to be awarded using the IOC’s new bidding method, in which the Future Host Commission finds and recommends its preferred candidate to the Executive Board.

Read more: Summer Olympics: Which are the confirmed/likely countries to host the future editions?

What the Sports Minister of India, Anurag Thakur, stated

“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 for them. It has to be a joint preparation. Usha’s predecessor as IOA President Narinder Batra, a former IOC member who stood down in July, had been pushing for the country to stage the Olympics in 2036 and branded the Session as “one of the first steps in showcasing our sporting capabilities”, stated Thakur to The Times of India.

The Minister of Sports characterized 2036 as “the right time to host the Games” and asked, “If India is making news in every sector from manufacturing to services, then why not in sports? 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.”