According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, India is among several countries interested in hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, 2040, and possibly beyond. Brisbane has bagged the rights to host the 2032 Summer Games.
The IOC has a waiting list of countries interested in hosting the Games in 2036, 2040, and even further, Bach revealed in a report in the ‘Wall Street Journal.’ Those ambitious hosts include Indonesia, India, Germany, and Qatar, the report added.
“And this is just the ones which come to my mind. So we are really in a very good long-term position,” Bach was quoted as saying by the WSJ.
Bach’s statements have come at a time when the escalating costs of staging the Games, which would be in the millions of dollars, have sparked debate. The recent Tokyo Games were also met with backlash for the amount of money spent on hosting the Olympics.
Rajeev Mehta, Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), confirmed to the PTI that the IOA had expressed interest in hosting the showpiece event.
“In a meeting of an IOC Commission via video conference before Tokyo Olympics, IOA had expressed interest in hosting Olympics in 2036 and beyond,” Mehta said.
In March earlier this year, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia stated that the city would make every effort and upgrade infrastructure to successfully bid for the 2048 Games, which would celebrate the country’s 100th anniversary of independence.
India had also expressed interest in hosting the Olympics in 2032 as part of a long-term hosting strategy that included the 2030 Asian Games and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
In December, Qatar and Riyadh were awarded the Asian Games 2030 and 2034, respectively.