Things are getting brighter for Indian sports. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has submitted a formal expression of interest to bid for the 2032 Olympic Games and is set to approach the government for support.
India informally showed interest in hosting the 32nd edition of the quadrennial sporting extravaganza earlier this year to visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. Bach, who was on a two-day visit to the country, said India has the capability to host big Olympic events but advised the IOA to wait for the bidding process to start.
“We are dead serious about this bid for the 2032 Olympics. So, we have already submitted to the IOC the letter expressing our interest in hosting 2032 Olympic Games. I had a meeting with the Bid Committee of the IOC. They welcomed the move and said that India should have hosted an Olympic Games much earlier,” revealed Rajeev Mehta, IOA Secretary General.
Among the Indian cities, New Delhi and Mumbai are believed to be the top options as venues in the minds of IOA’s top brass. “At the first stage, a country expresses its interest to bid for the Olympics and at a later stage the proposed host city or cities are mentioned in the bid. India has not bid or expressed interest to host Olympic Games earlier,” explained Mehta.
However the government wishes to take calculated measures relevant to bidding. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore had earlier hinted that India would do better to get more Olympic medals or spend the money on sporting infrastructure than host the spectacle in the country.
The bidding process for the 2032 Olympics will start in 2022, and a host city will be announced in 2025. Indonesia has already submitted its own Expression of Interest. Chinese city Shanghai and Australia’s Brisbane are also ready to bid. North and South Korea, too, are considering a historic joint bid, while Germany also plans to host the 2032 Games in 13 cities of the country.
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