India has set its sights firmly on bringing the Olympic Games home, with preparations for the 2036 Summer Olympics gathering momentum under the stewardship of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Union Minister Piyush Goyal, speaking in Mumbai on Sunday, confirmed that the nation’s bid is being shaped with full force.
"Preparations for the 2036 Olympics have also started in full swing. The Indian Olympic Association, under the leadership of MP PT Usha ji, has decided to bid for it as well, and now we are preparing our bid and sending it to the Olympics as well, and good preparations are going on so that we get that bid and the Olympics are held in India," Goyal said at an event.
The IOA, headed by PT Usha, had formally submitted its Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October 2024. Hosting the Olympics, Goyal said, would be a moment of pride for India and would underline the nation’s growing sporting stature on the world stage.
Also read: India submits ‘Letter of Intent’ to host 2036 Olympics
India’s ambition extends beyond the Olympics. Earlier this month, the IOA approved the submission of a proposal to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with Ahmedabad emerging as the frontrunner for the event. Proposals close on 31 August, and Commonwealth Sport is expected to announce the host city in November. PT Usha welcomed the IOA’s decision, describing it as a “milestone moment” for Indian sport.
In addition to global bids, Goyal announced a major domestic sporting initiative, the MP Sports Festival of North Mumbai. Scheduled from 21 September to 25 December, the festival will span 95 days. "I am very happy today to announce that the MP Sports Festival of North Mumbai will be held on a large scale in North Mumbai between 21 September and 25 December in about 95 days, in which my target is that there should be at least 1 lakh participants," he said.
India’s sporting fraternity and government alike have expressed confidence that the twin bids, for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics, will demonstrate the nation’s readiness to host world-class sporting spectacles.
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