India submits bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paraolympic games
India has officially submitted its bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, marking a significant step in the country’s sporting aspirations. According to ANI, citing a source from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) sent a formal ‘Letter of Intent’ to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission on 1 October, signaling India’s intent to bring the prestigious event to its shores.
The submission comes on the heels of India’s strong performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the nation secured a total of six medals—five bronze and one silver. This achievement has been a source of pride and has further fueled the momentum for India’s bid to host the Games, showcasing the country’s growing sports prowess.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been a vocal advocate for India’s bid, expressed his confidence in securing the Summer Olympics during an address to the Indian diaspora at Nassau Coliseum in New York last month. He highlighted that the government is making every effort to bring the Games to India, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to developing a robust sporting infrastructure.
In his speech, Modi also emphasized the government’s “athlete-centric” approach, underscoring India’s ongoing transformation into a “sporting society” and “sporting culture.” This vision is evident in India’s recent successes across various multi-sport events.
India’s performance at recent international competitions has been commendable. At the 2023 Asian Games and Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, India surpassed the 100-medal mark for the first time, winning 107 and 111 medals, respectively. Additionally, the country secured 61 medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with its highest-ever medal tally of 101 achieved at the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi.
Though India finished 71st in the medal table at the Paris Olympics, with the United States topping the table with 126 medals, the bid to host the 2036 Games reflects the country’s broader ambitions to position itself as a global sports hub.
As India prepares for the next steps in its Olympic journey, the submission of this bid marks an important milestone in its push to host the world’s largest sporting event, with hopes to inspire future generations of athletes and elevate India’s sporting profile on the global stage.
