India's 2036 Olympic Bid Progresses Amidst Venue Upgrades

Between January 2025 and June 2026, India hosted 36 international sports events across over 15 cities. In the next six months, 11 more events are planned while already securing hosting rights of 19 events from 2027 until 2028. This includes the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifier, the Wushu Commonwealth Championship and the Asia Para Cup Leg 2 in Archery, all in Ahmedabad which is India's bid city for the 2036 Summer Olympics. At the recently held International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session, the redrawn host selection process was approved. In 2024, India had submitted their letter of intent to host the 2036 Games. As per the new process under the presidency of Kirsty Coventry, the 2036 host will be unveiled after a vote in mid-2029. Instead of the sports ministry, the onus of leading India's push will be on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Gujarat Government and the athletes. The IOC has added a Strategic Dialogue phase in between the Continuous Dialogue and the final Targetted Dialogue stages with the relevant parties. During the Strategic Dialogue phase the candidate cities will have to provide "core financial guarantees" among other requirements. The candidate cities will also have to meet the criteria related to cost control, and provide timelines for completion of project milestones among other aspects. India are currently in the Continuous Dialogue stage. Other countries who have shown interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics and Paralympics are Qatar, Turkey and South Africa. Another event in the next six months of note is the BWF World Championships at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from August 17. The venue had copped criticism in January during the India Open for poor infrastructure and lack of hygiene as bird poop and stray monkeys paid a visit. "The goal is to ensure that facilities are of the top standard. The minister [sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya] is keeping track of the preparations," clarified a source tracking developments. After the India Open, the sports ministry had stepped in to establish protocols for upkeep of Sports Authority of India (SAI) infrastructure, such as the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, including quarterly review of the venues.