Back in 2008, I wrote an article for Business Week about how the Manmohan Singh government should bid for the 2024 Olympics. But India was not ready.
Now, after 9 years of a new government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a bold plan to try and clinch the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games for India, which has risen from the 13th largest economy in 2008 to Number 5 today.Speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai on October 15, Modi said hosting the event is “an age-old dream” for India.
“Indians are not just sports lovers, but we also live it,” Modi said. “India will leave no stone unturned in the preparation for the successful organization of the Olympics in 2036 – this is the dream of the 1.4 billion Indians.”
No firm time frame has been set by the IOC for when hosting rights for the 2036 Games will be awarded.
Modi also told the IOC that India would consider bidding to host the Youth Olympics in 2029. “Sport is not just about winning medals but also winning hearts,” he added.
