Just days after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) paused the process of selecting hosts for future Games, an Indian delegation met the top brass of the world body in Lausanne on Tuesday, confirming – for the first time officially – that Ahmedabad is the country’s choice to stage ‘a future edition’ of the mega event.
The high-level group that made its way to Switzerland included representatives of the union sports ministry, the Gujarat government, as well as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha.
The process was conducted despite new IOC chief Kirsty Coventry announcing in her first media interaction recently that the process to select host cities has been halted as members wanted more say in the matter. With Brisbane hosting the 2032 edition, 2036 is the next Summer Games on the table, and India has officially announced its bid.
“The discussions provided a vital platform for the Indian delegation to articulate their vision for hosting a future Olympic Games in Amdavad (Ahmedabad). Concurrently, they gained invaluable insights from the IOC regarding the requirements for the Olympic Games and its ambitions for the future of the Olympic Movement,” a press release from the touring party said.
Though it had been widely believed that Ahmedabad was the government’s choice to host the Olympics, it’s the first time it has been officially communicated to the IOC.
The release added that an Olympics in India would ‘serve as a catalyst to elevate Indian sport, offering 600 million young Indians their first opportunity to witness the Olympics on home soil. It would be a generational springboard for socio-economic development, innovation, education, and youth pride, advancing both India and the Olympic Movement. The bid embraces the Indian ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family – and will welcome the world as one during the Games.’
Gujarat sports minister Harsh Sanghavi said hosting the Olympics will be a significant development for the state. “We are eager to be a true partner to the IOC in the coming months of this process and, hopefully, in the years to come, as we work together to realise this shared ambition,” he said after the interaction.
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Usha stated: “The Olympic Games in India would not just be a spectacular event, they would be one of generational impact for all Indians.” Apart from India, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey and Chile are said to be among the other bidders for the 2036 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The ongoing process to select future hosts was deemed to be on pause as IOC members expressed reservations about the current rules, in which they have virtually no say. Coventry said a working group will be formed to ‘review how the future hosts are selected and when’.
“There was overwhelming support from the IOC members for a pause to be done and a review of the future host election process and we will be setting up a working group to look into this,” Coventry had said after chairing her maiden Executive Board meeting in Lausanne. “Firstly, members want to be more engaged in the process and secondly, there was a very big discussion on when the next host will be awarded.”
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