Explained: Where does India stand in the 2036 Olympics hosting race?

The Olympics represent the pinnacle of sport, and India is now firmly in the race to host them, with Ahmedabad leading the country’s bid for the 2036 Summer Games.

Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the final list of seven countries interested in staging the 2036 Olympics.

India, which has long pursued this ambition, is in contention alongside Qatar, Germany, Hungary, South Korea, South Africa and Turkiye in what would be a two-year-long selection process.

All the seven nations are expected to give a presentation later this month to IOC's Future Host Commission.

The process will officially begin in March 2027 with the IOC’s feasibility assessments of the interested nations. The final decision is expected in mid-2029.

Here, The Bridge examines how India’s rivals have performed as hosts of major events in recent seasons and how they plan to build their base for 2036.

List of Olympic sports world championships hosted by the seven nominated countries in the past few years, or scheduled in the coming years.

India has never been a frontrunner for hosting major championships, but it has recently begun staging them, taking gradual steps toward its ambition of hosting the Olympics.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) aims to use this momentum to strengthen the country’s sporting capabilities and expand the sports market to a broader Indian audience.

Ahmedabad has been selected as the preferred venue for the 2036 Olympics bid. The city is already constructing a new Olympic-standard stadium that will also serve as a key venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

The sports ministry has also allocated around ₹2,000 crore under its ‘Rising Together’ scheme to support infrastructure, promotions and related efforts for the Commonwealth Games and a possible 2036 Olympic bid.

While India is making a determined push to secure the Games, its relatively limited experience hosting major global multi-sport events could prove a challenge when competing against more established nations that have also entered the race for 2036.

Hungary, Germany's experience

Hungary and Germany rank among Europe’s most experienced hosts of major world championships and multi-sport events.

Hungary has established itself as a regular venue for two of the biggest world championships – Aquatics and Athletics – staging them a combined three times in six years.

Germany, meanwhile, recently hosted a major multi-sport event in the form of the 2025 World University Games, which brought together more than 6,000 athletes for a ten-day competition.

They have selected Munich as their candidate city and plan to create an Olympic park by renovating the existing infrastructure that hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics.

For Hungary, Budapest is the frontrunner, but unlike Germany, the country is not inclined to construct new stadiums and instead intends to rely on its well-established facilities that already host major world championships.

Although the Central European nation has long been a hub for elite events, it remains unsure about a formal 2036 Olympic bid and will continue its assessment process once the IOC’s strategic dialogue begins.

Qatar's rise

Qatar has rapidly established itself as a major host of high-profile sports events in recent years, from the 2022 FIFA World Cup to the 2030 Asian Games.

The country has also begun regularly staging world championships in Olympic sports such as judo, shooting, swimming and basketball in the last five years.

As a result, Qatar has emerged as one of the favourites in the race for the 2036 Summer Olympics with infrastructural readiness and the capacity to host big ticket events.

However, its current geo-political scenario could prove a significant obstacle ahead of next year’s strategic dialogue.

South Korea's dilemma

South Korea ranks among the most experienced nations in hosting major multi-sport events, having staged the 1988 Summer Olympics, co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2014 Asian Games, and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The East Asian country is once again in the mix for the Summer Olympics, this time exploring a potential co-hosting arrangement between the capital Seoul, which has hosted Olympics previously, and the North Jeolla Province.

South Korea can show their track record of successful large-scale events.

However, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has not yet formally approved the joint bid and may withdraw its bid, with the two still under discussion.

Turkiye's long-running battle

The Middle Eastern country has been long waiting for its opportunity, having bid for the Olympic Games five times between 2000 and 2020.

Despite failing to secure any of those bids, the country continues to pursue the goal, driven by its latest efforts that also helped it win the rights to host the upcoming European Games.

Although Türkiye is not currently hosting any major world championships, the 2027 European Games will serve as an important dress rehearsal for staging an elite multi-sport event of that calibre.

South Africa, only African nation in contention

South Africa is not known as one of the major hosts of international sporting events, with the notable exception of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when it became the first African nation to stage the tournament.

The South African Olympic Committee is once again aiming to make the country the first in Africa to host the Olympic Games, targeting bids for both the 2036 and 2040 editions.

It has proposed a multi-city bid to the International Olympic Committee, featuring Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, with Durban designated as the preferred host city.

Ahmedabad's biggest challenge & advantage

Each of the six cities in contention will throw a different challenge to Ahmedabad's bid.

Turkiye, for example, come in with years of experience of the bidding process, while South Africa contend that it could spread the Olympic Games across multiple cities.

Germany and South Korea, meanwhile, have the experience of hosting the Olympics while Qatar and Hungary have existing infrastructure to host.

Ahmedabad, meanwhile, bidding for the first time is still in the process of building the required infrastructure. 

However, the fact that the city has won the bid for 2030 Commonwealth Games and has also expressed interest to host the 2038 Asian Games right after the Olympics could give them an advantage.