India to host 2036 Olympics? IOA Prez Batra in talks with IOC; calls Motera best venue

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra on Saturday informed that the organization is in talks with the International Olympics Committee (IOC) for a possible bid by India to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. As per PTI, Narinder Batra further stated that he will propose the name Ahmedabad's Motera Stadium as the venue for an opening ceremony. After it was rebuilt to make it the world's largest cricket stadium, the Motera facility was renamed as 'Narendra Modi Stadium' by the Gujarat Cricket Association in February 2021.

The Narendra Modi Stadium, which can accommodate over 110,000 spectators (some accounts claim 132,000), was inaugurated by President Kovind, Home Minister Shah, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and other dignitaries ahead of the India-England pink-ball day-night test match in February 2021.

'Motera Stadium best venue for 2036 summer games opening ceremony', says IOA President 

"If someone asks me about the venue for the opening ceremony at present, then it is definitely going to be the Motera stadium. There is no stadium better suited to host the opening ceremony of the Olympics (in India). I can't say what will happen by 2036.... (but) I will be proposing Ahmedabad as the venue for the opening ceremony," said Batra.

Batra was speaking to the media at an event organized by TransStadia, a city-based sports infrastructure firm.

"When you say opening ceremony, it means that athletics will also be played (at the same venue). And athletics is the biggest event (at the Olympics). If we talk about the 2036 Olympics, then yes, we are already talking to the International Olympic Committee. Being the president of IOA, my discussions with the IOC happen on the subject....2036 Olympics will be finalized in two three years, and we are currently discussing with IOC," he said.

Recently, the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) invited proposals from consultants to conduct a `gap analysis' to assess if the infrastructure in the city was adequate to host the Olympics. A proper presentation for India's bid will be prepared after a new president takes over following IOA elections in December, Batra said.

India is one of the six or seven possible contenders for the 2036 games, added Batra. 

Olympics and host cities

The 2024 Summer Olympics edition will be held in Paris, France for a third time, exactly one hundred years after the city last hosted Summer Olympics in the year 1924. The IOC has also selected Los Angeles, California to host its third Summer Games in 2028, and Brisbane, Queensland, to host Australia’s third Olympics in 2032.

(Image: BCCI/Twitter/PTI)

(Inputs: PTI)