The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has reportedly formally written to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Future Host Commission to express India's desire to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2036.
During a keynote address at the Opening Ceremony of the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi first declared India's interest in organising an edition of the Olympic Games, the earliest available vacant slot being 2036 with 2028 taking place in Los Angeles for a record third time and 2032 already awarded to Brisbane.
Modi also put India forward to host an edition of the Youth Olympic Games before 2036 and has continued to reinforce these sentiments ever since. India heavily promoted the 2036 bid at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer and took its first strides towards having a chance of securing the rights to host when discussions began between the IOA and IOC in August.
Addressing over 15,000 members of the Indian diaspora gathered in New York as part of the "Modi and US" program in September, Modi then said that he is "putting in all possible efforts" to host the Games in 2036. Sure enough, a letter was reportedly then sent to the IOC's Future Host Commission the following weekend on 1 October 2024, officially putting India forward as the 2036 host nation.
India’s plan has been backed by the current IOC chief Thomas Bach but a decision will not be made before the IOC elections in March next year when one of seven IOC presidential candidates will replace him. Then it will undergo a complex and meticulous evaluation based on a range of criteria including infrastructure, financial stability, and the ability to deliver a sustainable Olympic Games in line with its “The New Norm” reforms.
On top of that, India will likely face competition from several other nations that have hinted at their own 2036 bids.
The likes of Qatar and Saudi Arabia have shown strong interest while Barcelona, Madrid, Copenhagen, Indonesia and Türkiye have all opened the doors to their own host bids over the past year.
If India is indeed successful, Ahmedabad is expected to act as the primary host city with its whopping 132,000-capacity international cricket stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest in the world making it an obvious front-runner.
India will likely push for the inclusion of several sports popular in India. In June, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) of India’s Sports Authority presented a comprehensive report outlining the necessary steps for a successful outcome. Within it, it highlighted six sports which could potentially be included in the 2036 Olympics programme: yoga, squash, chess, T20 cricket, kho kho, and kabaddi.
While Modi and India double down on their intentions to host, they find themselves in turmoil with the IOA currently dealing with internal conflicts. Friction between the IOA President PT Usha and the organisation's Executive Committee has escalated to the point where governance and operational functions are in disarray and as of yet have not shown signs of being resolved.
