India ready to host 2036 Olympics: Anurag Thakur

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said India is ready to host the 2036 Olympics and will submit a bid.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said that India is fully prepared to bring the Olympic Games to the country. The sports minister’s comments come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated the government’s intention to bid for the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Modi had expressed his opinion at the session of the International Olympic Committee held in Mumbai last year.

India has never hosted the Olympics before. Four potential locations have been identified in Gujarat. However, Prime Minister Modi did not mention any candidate cities in his speech at the IOC convention last October. India last hosted the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010. India hosted the Under-17 FIFA World Cup football tournament in 2017. However, organizing an event like the Olympic Games will require the joint efforts of many stakeholders.

Anurag Thakur said that India needs to be ready for the 2036 Olympics. Hosting the Olympics will be a big deal and India is ready for it. India will definitely bid with full force when the bidding process starts.’

There is still a long way to go

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said, ‘We should try to provide better facilities and resources and athletes should give all efforts for sports. Under the TOPS scheme, players get Rs 6 lakh separately for lodging, accommodation, training and other expenses. Those who are Khelo India athletes get Rs 6 lakh 20 thousand separately. This leaves his family with no expenses and the players can move on. Therefore, Indian players trained at home and abroad. Due to this, India won a total of 218 medals in the Asian and Para Asian Games. I would say this is just the beginning. We still have a long way to go.’

Anurag Thakur said, ‘India will also have to prepare to host the 2036 Olympics. We hosted the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad. But hosting the Olympics would be grand in itself. India is ready for this. When the bid is made, India will bid with full force and host the Olympics in India.’