India’s 2036 Olympic bid: Challenges, hopes, and expectations

As India eyes a historic bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games, the nation stands at a pivotal moment in its sporting journey.

With Ahmedabad reportedly in contention, the decision, expected seven years before the Games, will shape India’s future on the global sports stage.

If successful, this would mark the first time India hosts the Olympics, presenting immense opportunities and challenges. The nation must not only ensure top-tier infrastructure but also create a sporting ecosystem capable of producing world-class athletes who can compete at the highest level.

First female IOC President

Kristy Coventry, an African of European descent, became the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March 2025.

There are many firsts in Coventry’s election to the most coveted post in the sporting world—the first female IOC president, the first IOC President to be elected from Africa, and, of course, the first Olympic medal-winning IOC President.

She won three medals at the Athens 2004 summer Olympics—a gold medal in the 200-metre backstroke, a silver medal in the 100-metre backstroke, and a bronze medal in the 200-metre individual medley.

These were Zimbabwe’s first-ever summer Olympic medals.

Challenges and opportunities: The 2036 Olympic Games bid

During Kristy Coventry’s 8-year tenure, one of the major decisions that will need to be made is on the host city for the 2036 Summer Olympic Games. Ahmedabad is said to be bidding to host the summer games in 2036, as are a few more cities from Asia. The decision is usually made 7 years before the games.

In India’s quest to host the 2036 games, there remain a number of challenges for the country, the least of which are:

● Making a competitive bid and chalking out an effective strategy to win the bid. No doubt the government, together with active support from corporate India, are working towards this.

● Creating world-class sporting infrastructure in the host city. With 11 years to go, this is perhaps less of a challenge.

The difficult part will be to:

● Build an advanced modern ecosystem in the host city to not only welcome the athletes but also overseas and Indian visitors to the games, which can be in millions!

Millions because no matter where it is held in India, our compatriots from all across the country are going to flock to the city, not necessarily to witness the games live. A large jump in short-term stay was evidenced during the Paris Olympics.

● The foremost challenge will be to unearth young talent, train and groom them to be medal-winning prospects. India does not have an effective bottom-up sporting talent scouting programme, barring cricket! Though the Khelo India Games are supposed to fill that void. It will be interesting to see how many sportspersons, particularly from the under-14 participants now, make it to the international stage in 10 years and perform at the highest level.

India, being a host country, cannot be seen to be an ‘also ran’ host! Should Ahmedabad be awarded the 2036 Games, it will be the 4th time the Olympic Games will be hosted in Asia. Tokyo has been the host city twice, in 1964 and 2020/21, Seoul in 1988, and Beijing in 2008.

Lessons from Asia’s Olympic hosts

Whenever the 3 Asian countries hosted the Games, there has always been a spike in their medal tally from the previous Olympic Games. Japan’s medal tally in 1964 and 2020/21 placed them in 3rd position both times, whereas in the lead up to hosting the Games, they were ranked 10th in 1956 and 8th in 1960; likewise, they were ranked 11th in the 2012 Games and 6th in 2016.

South Korea hosted the Olympics in 1988, where they stood at an overall 4th in the medal count, which was a substantial jump from their 2 previous efforts, 19th in 1976 and 10th in 1984. They did not participate in the 1980 Games in Moscow, when the Western Bloc boycotted the Games.

China was the #1 team when they hosted the Olympic Games in 2008. They were, anyway, a top-performing country, after being late entrants to the Games – they sent a large contingent first in 1984 to the Los Angeles Games. They filled in the void created by the disintegration of the USSR. China ranked 3rd in 2000 and 2nd in 2004!

India’s performance and the road ahead

The performance of Indian sportspersons on the international stage, in the last 2 decades, has improved substantially since the last century.

Many Indians are now winning world championships and prestigious tournaments across the world, in events such as shooting, boxing, etc.

Many are ranked 1 in the world in their respective events, but that is not being translated to podium finishes in the Olympics! India’s best medal-winning performances were in Tokyo 2020/21 when they won 7 medals and were ranked 48th, 6 medals in London 2012, ranked 55th, and 6 medals in Paris 2024, finishing with a ranking of 71 amongst the medal-winning countries.

Going into the Tokyo 2020/21, many analysts predicted an unprecedented rich haul of medals, unprecedented it was – they just about bettered their all-time high of 6 medals in London 2012.

Paris 2024 could have been India’s watershed moment at the Olympics, 6 sportsmen came 4th in their respective events and narrowly missed a bronze! But it was not to be.

To cut a long story short, should India end up being awarded the 2036 Olympics, a well-thought-out plan and strategy need to be chalked out urgently to reach out to the grassroots to identify potential, and then nurture the potential to be champion sportspersons.

None of the existing athletes will compete in the 2036 games. With 11 years to go, we are perhaps looking at children who are aged 10 to 15 or even 16 to be India’s medal-winning hopes in 2036. Is Khelo India Games serving that purpose?

Have the states created an ecosystem in the grassroots to accomplish what the Khelo India Games are supposed to achieve? Time is running out!