India considering bid for 2036 Olympics, Ahmedabad to be host city: Anurag Thakur

New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur stated that India is considering bidding for hosting the 2036 Olympics. Anurag Thakur, in an interview with TOI, said that a roadmap will be presented to the full members of the International Olympic Association (IOC) in Mumbai in September 2023. He also told that if India hosts Olympics, Ahmedabad will be the host city.

Anurag Thakur said that if India can host G20 Presidency in a great manner, then the government will be able to bid for the 2036 Olympics too. He stated that India is ready to host the 2036 Olympics and is ‘seriously’ considering it. He said that the IOC session is a prestigious event for India and the government will support Indian Olympics Association (IOA) in the bidding.

Talking about the host city, he said that Gujarat has several times expressed interest in hosting the event, and from hotels, hostels, and airports to sports complexes, the state has the infrastructure as well. He added that the Gujarat government has it on its manifesto to host the Olympics.

According to reports, Indonesia, South Korea, and Qatar are also in contention to bid for hosting the Olympics. Qatar has recently hosted the FIFA World Cup and has been in controversies due to human rights violations and the lack of LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

India has previously hosted Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 and the Commonwealth Games in 2010. All these events were held in the capital city of New Delhi. Meanwhile, the country is set to host the ICC Cricket World Cup and FIH Hockey World Cup in Odisha.