INDIA TO BID FOR MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS, SAYS IOA PRESIDENT

NEW DELHI: With IOC chief Thomas Bach present, Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra said the national body planned to bid for major international sporting events, including 2032 Olympics. Batra said India will be interested in hosting the 2026 Youth Olympics, 2030 Asian Games and 2032 Olympics. “We will be bidding for these events,” he said.

Bach said there was still time for the candidature process for these major events to open. He said India had a great potential with respect to organising elite sports events. “We hope and wish India is able to tap the potential in sport with regard to success of athletes, and with regard to organising sporting events. There is no doubt organising sporting events promote sports in a country. India one day can organise great Olympic Games,” Bach said.

WARY GOVERNMENT

Since the 2010 Commonwealth Games fiasco, central governments have been tight-lipped about backing mega sports events in the country. Batra’s predecessor N Ramachandran had also urged the government to set a process in place for hosting the 2030 Asian Games followed by the 2032 Olympics.

However, sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore recently said he doesn’t ‘foresee’ India hosting major sporting events in the immediate future.

The hosts for the next two Olympics have been decided. Paris will host the 2024 Olympics and Los Angeles the 2028 Games.

There is still a long time for the bidding process for the 2032 Olympics to roll on. Asked whether IOC can speak to organisers of the 2022 Commonwealth Games to reinstate shooting, Batra said it does not fall under its domain. He however said IOA will take up the matter with the Commonwealth Games Federation.