Ganesh Kendale
New Delhi: Neither Mumbai nor Ahmedabad but the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) and Agra — home to the Taj Mahal — could be the leading choice for India to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, should the International Olympic Committee (IOC) give them a go-ahead.
After India’s expression of interest to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the next major step in the process will be identifying the potential host city. So far, Ahmedabad and Mumbai were being seen as the leading choices.
India makes formal bid to host 2036 Olympics
Ahmedabad was being seen as frontrunner by virtue of being home to the 1.32 lac capacity Narendra Modi cricket stadium while Mumbai, India’s financial capital, was being touted to be the other obvious choice given the commercial behemoth that an event like the Olympics can go on to be.
However, contrary to reports, the Delhi-NCR and Agra region could turn out to be the front runners in the near future for the following reasons: 1) Delhi is the country’s national capital and the gateway to some of India’s prime tourist destinations, 2) Connectivity in and around Delhi-NCR and Agra has been growing at a rapid pace and there are already four airports that can serve the heavy flow of visitors, 3) There is a major source of land available for new construction, going forward, 4) The Taj Mahal, a wonder of the world, could provide the theme and setting for India to promote the idea of being worthy hosts.
As has been evident over the years, consideration for the Olympic bid will not hinge just on the regions and favouritism but on multiple factors such as tourism potential, manufacturing industry, space, accessibility, airports and population size.
Keeping that in mind, with tourism as the central aspect, no spot is more iconic for India than the Taj Mahal. Additionally, previous successful bids have banked on prominent sites to showcase their candidature. For London 2012, river Thames and Tower Bridge were central, at Rio 2016, the statue of Christ the Redeemer was highlighted, and most recently, the Eiffel Tower was crucial to Paris’ bid. Based on these learnings, the Indian government could use the Taj Mahal as the emblem of the Olympic bid.
The Delhi-NCR region enjoys good connectivity with Agra and the region is served by the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the upcoming Noida International Airport near Jewar.
The decision and next steps in the process will not be taken before at least the next year when IOC members choose the next president in March. The current chief, Thomas Bach, has publicly backed India’s intention to host the Games.
Following the elections, the bids from all countries, which IOC claims are in “double digits”, will undergo a thorough evaluation based on various criterias, including infrastructure, financial stability, and the capacity to deliver a sustainable Olympic Games in line with the IOC’s “The New Norm” reforms.
In October, IOA reached out to the IOC Future Host Commission to express India’s interest in hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.
PM Modi had first announced India’s ambition to organise the Olympics during the Opening Ceremony of the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai in 2023. That intention was then emphasised by him while addressing the athletes after the Paris Games and then to the Indian diaspora in New York in September.
During the Paris Games, IOA officials and Nita Ambani actively promoted their bid in back-channel talks with the IOC.
