India to amplify its bid for hosting 2032 Olympic Games

Last updated on February 13th, 2023 at 04:05 pm

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra has asserted that the country will step up its bid to win the 2032 Olympic Games, 2026 Youth Olympic Games, and other international sports events when the spread of COVID-19 pandemic will be curtailed.

Speaking to media in the matter, Batra stated that India is serious and definitely pitching for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the 2032 Olympics, adding that the after the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the country had lessons to learn but would not be deterred.

It has been 10 years since India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Besides the Commonwealth, India also previously hosted the 1951 and 1982 Asian Games, all being held in Delhi. Reportedly, several controversies related to construction delays and financial mismanagement came to light during the 2010 Commonwealth Games which was hosted in Delhi.

Notably, in December 2018, the IOA had tendered an official letter of interest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stating its intention to hold the 2032 Olympics. Formulating an extravagant plan, the IOA also extended India’s bid to host the 2026 or 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2030 Asian Games in the coming years.

Several countries including Indonesia, Shanghai and Korea have also extendedtheir bids for the 2032 Summer Olympic Games, giving a huge competition to India. India also faces reported competition from Russia, Thailand, and Colombia for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.However, all the discussions over international sports events have come to a halt due to the pandemic outbreak. Significantly, a final decision for the 2032 Olympics Games will be taken around 2025.

There’s another competition from Australia for the 2032 Olympic Games, as a South East Queensland bid was confirmed in December.Interestingly in February 2020, IOC vice-president John Coates had stated that India’s bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games have come to an end. However, the IOA had refuted these claims made by Coates who is also the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) president.

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Furthermore, amid the fight against Coronavirus pandemic, India’s sports chief said that it is not the time to pitch for the Olympics with the government and business houses, emphasizing on the need to sort out the global crisis at hand.

Narinder Batra also exhibited confidence over winning more than 10 medals in the next Games, keeping in view of India’s medal tally in the 2016 Olympics. n the 2016 Rio Olympics, India managed to win only two medals – One Silver and one Bronze. Meanwhile, with the pandemic intensifying, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed to Summer 2021 and now will be conducted between July 23 to August 8.

It is important to note that earlier on April 28, India lost its hosting rights of the 2021 men’s world boxing championship to Belgrade’s Serbia after its Delhi-based national federation failed to pay the hosting fee. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) terminated the agreement which was signed in 2017, leading to India pay a cancellation penalty of USD 500.