Hosting Olympics would be generational opportunity for India: Sports Minister Mandaviya ahead of IOC presentation

The IOC said India, Germany, Qatar and Turkiye are among seven countries with a stated interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics and have been invited to present their Games projects to the IOC’s Future Host Commission next month.

Updated : Oct 07, 2026 16:12 IST , New Delhi - 4 MINS READ

FILE PHOTO: IOA chief PT Usha (right) said the body feels deeply honoured by the IOC’s recognition of India’s aspirations. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian Olympic Association President P. T. Usha on Wednesday said that the country’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics will revolve around the vision of “Rising Together” and the first project presentation to the IOC’s Future Host Commission will be made at the end of this month.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday said India, Germany, Qatar and Turkiye are among seven countries with a stated interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics and have been invited to present their Games projects to the IOC’s Future Host Commission next month.

“India’s ambition for 2036 is rooted in a simple idea: that sport can help shape the future of our nation. Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games would inspire millions of young Indians to participate in sport, strengthen healthier and more active communities, and create new opportunities for our youth across education, employment and social development,” stated Mandaviya in a press release issued by the IOA.

Ahmedabad is India’s city of choice to host the quadrennial showpiece, which has never been held in the country before. India submitted its Expression of Interest to host the Games in 2024.

Usha said the IOA feels deeply honoured by the IOC’s recognition of India’s aspirations.

“...proud to be part of an exceptional group of potential hosts for future editions of the Games,” she said.

“For us, ‘Rising Together’ is not simply a slogan — it is a powerful commitment to unite India’s energy, ambition and diversity behind a shared Olympic dream.

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“As we develop our vision for 2036, we want to create a Games that reflects the confidence of a young, dynamic and rising India, while contributing to the Olympic and Paralympic Movements’ ambition to reach new generations, new communities and new horizons around the world.

“We look forward to continuing our exchange with the IOC and to present our ambition to the Future Host Commission for the first time at the end of October,” she added.

The IOC said the projects will be assessed on a number of technical factors such as venue master-plan and athlete experience, funding strategy, political and public support, Games delivery capabilities, and legacy strategy to create long-term benefits for host communities.

Hungary, Qatar, Republic of Korea, and South Africa are the other contenders for the hosting rights.

The next phase after the November presentations will be Strategic Dialogue instead of Targetted Dialogue, which will remain the final phase of decision-making process even in the revamped host selection process. The last phase will begin in 2028.

The IOA said ‘Rising Together’ reflects the belief that 2036 can be a moment of India’s transformation through sport.

“For India, hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be a generational opportunity to place sport at the heart of national life,” the body stated.

“The project is designed to act as a catalyst for a wider sporting transformation: inspiring millions of young people to move from watching sport to practising it, supporting healthier and more active communities, and making sport a driver of education and professional opportunities,” it added.

The IOC had halted the host selection process in 2025 to seek more elaborate feedback from member nations. The process was restarted in July this year. The host of the 2036 Games will be known in mid-2029 after a vote during the IOC session that year.