India Makes Official 2036 Olympic Bid

by Will Baxley 11

November 06th, 2024 Asia, International, News

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) submitted their official Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games this week.

Though a location is not yet final, the Indian Express reports that western city Ahmedabad is a frontrunner. The campaign is pushing to add yoga, chess, and squash along with other traditional Indian sports like kho kho and kabaddi to the 2036 program.

If selected, this would be India’s first time hosting a major international multi-sport event in over 25 years. Most recently, New Delhi served as the host of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which was riddled with criticism and controversies.

During the construction of the games there were reportedly dozens of workers that died. Workers also reported receiving compensation below minimum wage. Furthermore, several publications reported evidence of child labor at the commonwealth games.

The week before the start of the games, 10,000 volunteers backed out from helping the event.

There were also swimming-specific issues at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. On the first night, debris from the ceiling fell into the pool, causing meet delays. The pool’s water filtration system also broke before the final session of competition.

Despite controversies of India’s Commonwealth Games, India’s 2036 plan has been backed by current IOC president Thomas Bach. Additionally, French president Emmanuel Macron supported the bid and said his country would exchange expertise from the Paris 2024 Olympics if India were to be selected.

India, the second-largest country on earth by population and fifth-largest economy on earth by GDP, has begun to catch the attention of the IOC for its commercial potential. Cricket, which is wildly popular in India, is being added as an Olympic sport by Los Angeles 2028 organizers, and the IOC is even considering moving the events from Los Angeles to the American east coast to make the time zone more convenient for fans in India.

Observers hope that a rapid modernization in India over the last decade along with increasing political influence will help it avoid some of the pitfalls that the Commonwealth Games faced.

India becomes one of four 2036 official bids thus far, joining Istanbul, Türkiye; Santiago, Chile; and Nustantra, Indonesia. The IOC reports that dozens of other locations have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 games. Other prominent campaigns include Doha, Qatar, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The host of the 2036 Games will not be decided until after next year’s IOC elections.

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Curious George
2 minutes ago

Open water in India??? Yuck!

FKA an anti-fan club
33 minutes ago

“ Additionally, French president Emmanuel Macron supported the bid and said his country would exchange expertise from the Paris 2024 Olympics if India were to be selected.” – dog you are not the one who should be talking right now.

For anyone unaware, Olympic bids/volunteers have been steadily decreasing for each games, so India volunteering is a positive thing imo, and the last time the games were held in Asia I feel like they were pretty non-controversial, I wasn’t that old then though. The 2010 incident is admittedly concerning, but after 26 years who’s to say significant progress can’t be made.

Alan
40 minutes ago

Now we have to say Macron is a very smart politician and he loves his country so much. After 2036 Indian Olympic, all the bad memories about Paris Olympic would be gone.

I miss the ISL (Go dawgs)
1 hour ago

Horrible idea

Skip
2 hours ago

Well, thats a lock really, what could go wrong?🤣🙄

DustySA
2 hours ago

FYI India has the world’s largest population. I’d back Istanbul -an amazing city – for these Olympics or perhaps Santiago, maybe give India the chance too.

emmie
3 hours ago

there’s no way. everyone will die of heat stroke (i grew up in delhi, believe me)

Swimmerfromjapananduk
Reply to  emmie
3 hours ago

Don’t forget all the environmental pollution, let alone the claustrophobic conditions of the big cities

Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
3 hours ago

“Hello IOC? This is the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Do you have a minute to talk?”