India push for yoga, kabaddi, kho-kho to be included in 2036 Olympics
India push for yoga, kabaddi, kho-kho to be included in 2036 Olympics
India's sports administrators would be "lobbying" hard during the upcoming Paris Olympics to brighten the country's chances of hosting the 2036 Games where they will push for the inclusion of indigenous disciplines like yoga, kho kho and kabaddi if their ambitious bid is successful.
The Sports Authority of India's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) presented its detailed report on the measures needed for a successful bid to new sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday.
"We met the new Sports Minister yesterday and handed him the report. The minister said he would need a few days to go through it. But he asked us to prepare another report on how sports can be a career option in the country, how to build interest among youth, how to bring private players into sports," a senior member of the MOC told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"We are way ahead in preparing for the Olympic bid which will take place after Paris. But we will have to do a lot of lobbying with IOC during the Paris Games and we are completely prepared," the member added.
The inclusion of host country preferences will be a discussion for much later as the hosting rights of the Games have not been finalised. The decision is likely only after the International Olympic Committee has a new President after elections next year.
If India's bid succeeds at all, the proposed events will first have to be introduced as demonstration events in the 2032 Brisbane Games before getting a final go-ahead.
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During the International Olympic Committee (IOC's) Congress in Mumbai last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed India's ambition to host the Games in 2036, stating that the administration would "leave no stone unturned" in bringing the showpiece to the country for the first time.
The MOC member said that while the inclusion of these sports would help in enhancing India's medals tally in the 2036 Olympics, but the road ahead is not easy as the country will have to extend all possible support in building the base for these disciplines to a minimum number of participating nations.
"The sports ministry asked the MOC to prepare a detailed report about our readiness for 2036 Olympics, including identifying new sporting disciplines which a host nation can pitch for, how to control doping menace, bringing more accountability in the working of the national federations and identifying private entities who are interested in investing in sports," the member told PTI.
