While Ahmedabad will be the centrepiece of India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics, discussions at various levels within the government and bureaucracy aim to transform the Games into “a movement for the full country” by extending events to cities outside Gujarat, The Indian Express reported.
India is in “continuous dialogue” with the International Olympic Council’s Future Hosts Commission, after the submission of a Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Olympics last October.
The proposal is expected to be shared with the IOC soon.
“This is something in the making. How the final picture will look, none of us know right now. We will make a plan and present it to the IOC. Based on those conversations, decisions will be taken,” an official was quoted as saying in the IE report.
“We want to take the sports to other parts of India and make it a movement for the full country," the official added.
As part of Ahmedabad’s ambitious bid to host the Olympics, sports infrastructure projects worth over Rs 6,000 crore are in the pipeline.
These projects "will go ahead, irrespective of whether India’s bid for the Games is successful," officials said.
“The Olympics can be a motivating factor, but these are aimed for the larger public good in terms of health and recreation as well as making the city a destination for international sports,” the official said.
The Naranpura Sports Complex, scheduled to open in March, is one such ongoing project which has been designed for both elite athletes and the public.
Spanning 20.39 acres and costing around Rs 631.77 crore, it will feature an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool, courts for basketball, volleyball, and badminton, arenas for gymnastics, kabaddi, wrestling, and taekwondo, a table-tennis room, and a centre of excellence for these sports.
Once inaugurated, the Naranpura Sports Complex will serve as a highlight of the extensive infrastructure plan for the 2036 Olympics.
The focus will then shift to two primary hubs: the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Sports Enclave, covering 355 acres near the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, and the Karai Sports Hub, with a “site area of 143 acres, augmented by reclaimed riverfront”.
In December, Gujarat Olympic Planning and Infrastructure Limited issued a tender inviting bids to appoint consultants for developing these two projects.
The tender document outlines that the SVP willinclude the Narendra Modi Stadium, a multi-purpose indoor arena, aquatics and tennis centres as permanent venues.
“Temporary venues” for volleyball, 3×3 basketball, sport climbing, and urban sports will also be set up during the Games.
Athletics events are planned in Karai, which will feature a 35,000-seat stadium, with provisions for additional temporary seating during the Games.
The shooting complex will be set up at the Karai Police Academy.
The target completion date for these projects is 2028.
In a bid to gain hosting experience, the state is targeting a slew of international multidisciplinary events and major continental, Commonwealth and world-level tournaments across Olympic sports.
India has submitted bids to host several major events, including the 2028 World U20 Athletics Championships, the 2028 Asian Swimming Championship, the Youth Olympics in 2030, and the World Police and Military Games.
“It’s not as if we are directly aspiring for the Olympics. We want to host other events also to test our ability, learn how to conduct largescale sporting events…These projects will take place regardless of whether India wins the bid to host the 2036 Olympics,” an official said.
“The Olympics isn’t the only goal, although it can be a motivator for major infrastructure projects," the official added.
According to people involved in the process, India's bid could be bolstered by the fact that the Games haven’t been hosted yet in this part of the world, and the growing economy can work in the country’s favour.
However, administrative issues within the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), with president PT Usha clashing with the executive committee, are viewed as a “red flag.”
Since the IOA, rather than state or central governments, leads dialogue with the IOC, India has faced delays in this process.
Officials admitted that the ongoing IOA crisis “does not give international stakeholders a lot of confidence,” as highlighted by the IOC earlier.
“The earlier it is solved, the better it is for India’s reputation,” an official remarked.
In addition to internal challenges, India will face competition from other bidders, notably Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Both nations have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics and are known for leveraging their financial resources to secure major events, as demonstrated with the FIFA World Cup.
The IOC has said that at least 10 other countries have shown interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics, the next available edition following Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.
A decision on the host city is expected by 2026.
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