'India needs to be ready': Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on nation's 2036 Olympic bid
'India needs to be ready': Sports Minister Anurag Thakur reflects on nation's 2036 Olympic bid
India is all set to bid for the 2036 Olympics as the nation transforms its image on the global stage with another huge landmark. India enjoyed their best return at the Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) when they won seven medals, including a gold. That success was followed by 107 medals in the Asian Games. However, according to India’s Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, the target now is not to just win medals at the Olympics but to host the multinational event and the nation needs to be ready for the big event.
Anurag Thakur asks India to be ready
"For 2036 Olympics India needs to be ready. Organising the Olympics will be a huge thing and India is ready for that. Whenever the bidding process begins, India will certainly bid with full power and will organise the Olympics in India," Anurag Thakur said on Tuesday.
India has hosted big events in the past but has neverhosted the Olympics. The nation with the biggest democracy in the world hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi while it was also the host of the 1982 Asian Games. However, bringing the Olympics to India will require a lot of effort and a helping hand from stakeholders.
India’s first step to being part of the process has seen them host the annual meet of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also backed the bidding for the 2036 Olympics and the nation is ready to get into the bidding war when the process begins.
India played a crucial role in getting cricket added to the Olympics and has been a member of the IOA committee. Cricket was added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics during the IOC’s general meet in 2023 in India.
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As things stand, the host nations for the next three Olympics are already selected with Paris being the hosts for the upcoming Olympics in August. This will be the third time Paris hosts the Olympics, with London being the only other city to record the feat. Paris hosted the Olympics in 1900 and 1924.
On the other hand, Los Angeles will become the third city after Paris and London to host the Olympics for the third time having done so in 1932 and 1984. The United States will host the Olympics for the ninth time and fifth time during the summers.
Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and will become the third Australian city to host the Olympics after Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000).
