India joins race to host 2036 Olympics with formal letter of intent to IOC

The buzz around India's bid to host the prestigious Olympics has been doing rounds since the Paris Olympics was held in France in August

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India has formally sent a ‘Letter of Intent’ to the Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee, expressing New Delhi’s interest in hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday, citing sources from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

 

According to the report, the letter was submitted on October 1. 

 

The buzz around India’s bid to host the prestigious Olympics has been ongoing since the Paris Olympics in August. At the event, India’s representative to the International Olympic Committee, Nita Ambani, remarked that “the day is not far when India will host the Olympic Games.”

 

As Ambani’s statement resonated across India, many expressed excitement about the prospect, while some remained apprehensive.

 

Notably, Congress member of Parliament Karti Chidambaram reacted to the idea, calling it a “colossal disaster for India as a country.” Chidambaram argued that instead of hosting the Games, India should focus on supporting its sportspersons and providing them with adequate resources.

 

Besides India, Egypt, England, Indonesia, and Qatar have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Games. Olympic officials confirmed in mid-October that they were in talks with 10 potential candidates for the hosting bid.

 

The process to award the hosting rights is mostly secretive, led by Olympic officials. Brisbane was chosen as the venue for the 2032 Games 11 years in advance, following a controversy involving French-led investigations into alleged vote-rigging. These allegations of vote-buying had surfaced in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic bidding processes.

 

Rio de Janeiro won the bid for the 2016 Games, while Tokyo was selected to host the 2020 Games.