Olympics
India's bid for 2036 Olympics: Inclusion of Kabaddi and other Indigenous sports
The primary focus is on the inclusion of Yoga, Kabaddi, and Kho-Kho, while T20 cricket, Squash, and Chess are also being considered.
Having just 35 days before the Paris Olympics, India’s plan to bid for the 2036 Olympics stays stern.
The inclusion of Yoga, Kabaddi, and Kho-kho are the main targets while T20 cricket, Squash, and chess are also in consideration.
Yoga is one of six sports that the Mission Olympics Cell (MOC), which operates under the Sports Ministry, is considering for Olympic inclusion. The other five sports are Twenty20 cricket, kabaddi, chess, squash, and Kho-Kho.
Discussions about adding these sports started last year when PM Modi showed his interest in hosting the game here, in India. The aim is to win the bid and progress accordingly.
Several other countries are also interested in winning the bid, yet the Indian administrators look confident despite the competition.
The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris starting 26 July, followed by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032 leaving the earliest opening for the 2036 Olympics.
"We met the new Sports Minister yesterday and handed him the report. The minister said he would need a few days to go through it. But he asked us to prepare another report on how sports can be a career option in the country, how to build interest among youth, how to bring private players into sports," a senior member of the MOC told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"The sports ministry asked the MOC to prepare a detailed report about our readiness for the 2036 Olympics, including identifying new sporting disciplines which a host nation can pitch for, how to control the doping menace, bringing more accountability in the working of the national federations and identifying private entities who are interested in investing in sports," the member added further.
Adding regional games has been allowed by the IOC in each edition of the game. They give chances to the hosts to add sports that are popular locally. If India wins the bid, they will be pushing Yoga, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Squash, Chess, and T20 cricket.
All these will be finalized only if India wins the bid and IOC agrees to conduct the specific sport. Having an international governing body approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a requirement for a sport to be included in the Olympics. Interestingly, yoga will be featured as a demonstration event at the Louvre Museum next month during the Paris Olympics.
