India is among seven countries that want to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed in a public statement on Tuesday (Oct. 6).
Besides India, Qatar and South Africa are also among the confirmed bidders, alongside Germany, Hungary, Turkey, and South Korea. Meanwhile, other countries have until October 31, 2026, to declare their interest in hosting the Olympic Games 10 years later.
In March 2027, the IOC Executive Board will draw up a shortlist of the interested countries, which will then enter dialogue with the Olympic body. The governing body said that the host of the 2036 Olympic Games will be assessed on several factors, including funding, political and public support.
“Wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a statement. “That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point,” the Zimbabwean former swimmer added.
Ahmedabad Positioned as Potential Host City
India had earlier stated its intention to host the Summer Games for the first time, with Ahmedabad likely to play the host city. Having successfully hosted a multilateral event at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, India’s Ahmedabad will next host its 2030 edition, seen as a major rehearsal for the Olympic Games. The city is also home to the world’s largest cricket stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Neither South Africa (host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 1995 Rugby World Cup) nor Qatar (host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup) has ever staged an Olympic Games.
The German National Olympic Committee voted last month to select Munich as its candidate city for the Games that will take place a century after the infamous 1936 Berlin Olympics, which were overseen by the Nazi regime. Elsewhere, Turkish Olympic authorities hope to do one better than in the bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics when Istanbul came second to Tokyo.
Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the Australian city of Brisbane has been awarded the 2032 edition.