The chances of India hosting the 2036 Olympic Games are said to have received a major boost with Thomas Bach saying that India have a strong case for hosting the global spectacle, sources in the Olympic Council of Asia told The Statesman today.
The International Olympic Committee president was said to have favoured the idea as the Asian country was the world’s most populous with a booming economy making the most of its scientific as well as industrial progress.
The sources, insisting on anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the Press, said that India was expected to come up with a bid proposal for the 2036 Summer Games at an IOC Session – the country’s first – next month in Mumbai.
Nita Ambani is known to have played a crucial role in bringing it to India. Union sport minister Anurag Thakur hinted at the Olympics-oriented effort earlier. It is said that India, which has previously hosted the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Afro – Asian Games, plans Ahmedabad, with its huge Narendra Modi stadium, among the biggest anywhere, to be the hub of the quadrennial showpiece event also being competed for now by Indonesia and Turkey currently.
When Hockey India’s Narinder Batra was spearheading a similar move for India to host the Olympics, he was reported to have spoken of major Indian cities sharing out the events.
Most of India’s Olympic medals are accounted for by niche sports, though Neeraj Chopra won a javelin throw gold medal in Tokyo’s coronavirus-delayed show. Leander Paes picked up a tennis bronze in Atlanta ( 1996) and Abhinav Bindra a shooting bronze in Beijing (2008). Chopra recently won a world track – and – field championships gold medal, enhancing his reputation as a mainstream contestant in a multi – discipline global competition.