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2036 Olympics: India makes hosting bid with ‘Letter of Intent’ to International Olympic Committee

Olympics 2036: A decision on the host will not be taken before the IOC elections next year and India will also have to face competition from several other nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turke

Olympics: India is likely to push for the inclusion of yoga, which has been the country’s soft-power tool, in the sports programme. (Reuters)

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’, expressing the country’s desire to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission.

A decision on the host will not be taken before the IOC elections next year and India will also have to face competition from several other nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, who are positioning themselves as strong contenders to host the sporting spectacle. According to the IOC, countries in “double digits” have expressed interest in hosting the Games in 2036, which is the earliest available vacant slot.

India’s plan has been backed by current IOC head Thomas Bach. The last time India hosted an international multi-sport extravaganza was the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

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But for the 2036 Olympics, Ahmedabad is being seen as a front-runner to be the host city. India’s top sports administrators, including IOA President PT Usha, were at the Paris Olympics earlier this year to lobby for the country.

“Despite some internal challenges within the IOA, our commitment remains steadfast. I am optimistic that India will be viewed by the IOC as a gracious host,” the IOA president Usha said. “Since last year, we have maintained regular communication with IOC president Thomas Bach and with the officials of the future host commission. We also remained in touch with the officials at the Paris Olympics, during which our officers attended the executive program and observer program organised by the IOC. These interactions and learning led to the submission of the letter of intent in early October.”

As it doubles down on efforts to bring the 2036 Olympics home, India is likely to push for the inclusion of yoga, which has been the country’s soft-power tool, in the sports programme.

The Indian Express had previously reported that yoga is among the six sports that the Mission Olympics Cell — under the Sports Ministry — feels can be recommended for inclusion in the Olympics. The other five are: Twenty20 cricket, kabaddi, chess, squash and kho kho.

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The idea was first discussed last year in December — two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially declared India’s interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics during a meeting of the Sports Authority of India’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC). The MOC includes some of India’s top former athletes, high-ranking federation office-bearers and officials from the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India. The IOC rules allow the Organising Committee of a specific edition of the Games to propose the inclusion of one or more sports, which are popular in the region.

– With PTI inputs