The CEO of the Indian Olympic Committee, Raghuram Iyer, told Reuters on Wednesday that India's efforts to host the 2036 Olympic Games represent the cornerstone of a broader project aimed at transforming the country into a global sporting power, expressing his confidence in his country's ability to outperform its competitors and seize the right to host.
The Indian file gained a new impetus yesterday, Tuesday, after the International Olympic Committee announced that India would join the race to host the 2036 Olympics, along with Germany, Qatar, Hungary, Turkey, South Africa, and South Korea.
However, India's path to hosting is not without challenges, as it faces criticism related to the lack of recent experience in organizing major multi-sport tournaments, as well as governance problems within the Indian Olympic Committee, its limited Olympic achievements, and its faltering record in the fight against doping.
However, Iyer believes that the continued cooperation with the International Olympic Committee and the country's growing experience in hosting international tournaments enhance its chances of winning the right to organize, which officials view as a turning point in India's sports career.
“Our mission is to become a major sporting power,” Iyer said in a telephone interview with Reuters.
He added: “This is not a one-time event, but rather a long-term path that we hope will one day place India among the top five or ten sporting countries in the world.”
He continued: “This legacy will remain until sport becomes a part of the daily life of every Indian, because the issue goes beyond winning medals. "It's about health, fitness, psychological well-being, and building a healthier, more active community."
India was subjected to severe criticism during the preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, due to problems that included water leakage into some sports facilities and poor accommodation conditions, which damaged its reputation as a country capable of hosting major sporting events.
But the country has intensified its efforts in recent years, hosting dozens of international tournaments in 15 cities since last year, and aims to organize 65 international events by 2028, in an effort to prove its readiness to host multi-game competitions the size of the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.
The next step is to submit the nomination file to the International Olympic Committee's Future Hosts Committee next month, before it undergoes a series of feasibility studies, field visits, and detailed technical assessments, in preparation for narrowing the list of candidates.
A shortlist of nominated countries is expected to be announced in late 2028, with IOC members choosing the host country in 2029.
Iyer said that the Indian Olympic Committee is committed to working with the International Olympic Committee to address any weaknesses in the file, noting that practical steps have already begun in this direction.
After the International Olympic Committee's visit last year, the Indian Olympic Committee launched a new program to raise awareness of the dangers of doping, in an attempt to address the country's topping the list of violations issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency for three consecutive years.
The committee also sought to reassure international sports bodies about the stability of their internal situations, after India faced the risk of exclusion from the 2024 Paris Olympics due to disputes related to management and elections.
India will face competitors with a more established Olympic history, such as Germany and South Korea, which have previously hosted the Games, while Qatar will rely on its organizational experience gained from hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The city of Ahmedabad, the political stronghold of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, occupies a pivotal position in India's ambitions, as it is considered a candidate to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and perhaps the 2038 Asian Games.
The Times of India newspaper reported last year that Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar had prepared a detailed plan to host the Olympics at a cost ranging between $3.51 and $6.61 billion.
Iyer stressed that the Indian file is based on the growing government and private investments in sports, noting that these efforts have gradually begun to be reflected in the country's results in international competitions.
Since 1900, India has won 41 Olympic medals, including seven medals in the Tokyo Olympics, and six medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Over the past two years, we have witnessed an unprecedented focus on sports, along with significant investments from the government, the private sector, and other interested parties,” Iyer said.
He added: “The Olympics is the biggest goal. We aspire to host it, and we hope that this trip will also lead us to become the sporting force we aspire to be.”
Polish Iga Swiwontek, formerly ranked first and currently ninth, equaled American legend Serena Williams' record in terms of the number of victories in 1,000-point tennis tournaments, with her victory on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the Beijing tournament over young American Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3, while the campaign of American Coco Gauff, seeded third, ended.
The winner of six major tournament titles and the Beijing tournament in 2023, she raised her tally in the 1,000-point tournament to 148 wins, in second place on the list of female players with the most victories, partnered with Serena Williams, while Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka leads with 156 wins.
In her first encounter with the 18-year-old American, ranked 10th in the tournament and 13th in the world, Šwijontek took control of the first set and won the first five games, then had two chances to decide the set in the sixth game before Jovic succeeded in holding her serve and winning her first game in the match.
But the Polish woman held her serve in the next game and won the set on her fifth chance.
Światnik started the second set with an early break to lead 2-0, but Jovic began to find her rhythm and returned the break to tie the score.
Jovic, who entered the match on the back of a series of six consecutive victories after winning the Guadalajara title last month, succeeded in saving two additional break point opportunities in the next game to take a 3-2 lead, but Šwijntek broke her opponent's serve twice in a row to decide the match after an hour and 36 minutes.
Shevuntik, who is looking for her second crown of the season (the first was in the 1000-point tournament in Toronto in August, when she won in the final over the Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina, who is currently number one), will meet in the quarter-finals the Belgian Elise Mertens, eighth in the world, who in turn eliminated Gauff, third and the 2024 Beijing champion, by defeating her 6-3, 6-3, achieving her first victory over her opponent out of six meetings between them.
Mertens will compete in the quarter-finals for the first time in the Chinese capital in seven appearances after winning ten of the last 11 points on her serve against Gauff on Wednesday, decisively winning with her second ace in the match.
She revealed after the meeting that she had an additional motive, but it did not stem from a desire for revenge, explaining: “Tomorrow is the birthday of my coach and friend Christopher Hayman. “So I dedicate this victory to him.”
Gauff gave a lackluster performance, committing 34 direct errors in the match, including eight double faults on serve, and four of them came during the final game of the first set when she lost her serve.
When she was down 1-4 in the second set, she told her team members sitting courtside that she was “without energy” and felt as if she was going to faint.
This victory represents Mertens' tenth victory in her career over a player ranked among the top five in the world, and her second in 2026 after her surprise defeat against Rybakina in the third round of the Wimbledon Championship. It is also the third time in her career that she has achieved more than one victory over players ranked among the top five in one season.
Despite her negative record against Świjontek, which she defeated in the previous two matches between them, Mertens will seek to reach her first semi-final in the thousand-point tournaments since the Dubai tournament in 2021.
Jude Bellingham described teammate Harry Kane as “the greatest player to ever play for England”; This is after the veteran striker equaled the record for the most players to participate with the English national football team.
Kane was able to equal legendary goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record of 125 international matches, during England's 3-0 victory over its guest, the Czech Republic, on Tuesday evening, in the European Nations League.
Kane celebrated this occasion in the best way possible, as he scored two goals and scored a third, leading the England national team to strengthen its position in second place in the Group 3 standings in the first level of the group stage of the continental competition, after raising its score to 9 points, with a difference of 3 points behind the Spanish national team (the leader), so that it is on the verge of qualifying for the round of 8 in the tournament.
Kane (33 years old), who currently has 91 international goals to his credit, is scheduled to hold the record for the number of appearances with the England national team next November, while Billingham believes that no one has worn an England shirt with such distinction.
The Real Madrid star said in statements reported by the British News Agency (PA Media): “In fact; Nothing Ken does surprises me anymore. He is an amazing role model and a wonderful person, and I am honored to play with him inside the green rectangle.”
Billingham confirmed: “As I said before: he deserves everything he achieves. He works hard and is a person of honesty and integrity.”
He added: “I know he scored two goals tonight, but the most important achievement is equaling Peter Shilton’s record. For me, he is the greatest player to ever play for England. “He is a wonderful human being, and you learn new things from him every day.”
Bellingham is moving steadily towards being among the circle of attention and nominations, after an excellent training camp that was an extension of his exceptional performance in the recent World Cup tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The young player (23 years old) is part of an exciting attacking quartet that also includes Kane, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon, with Morgan Rogers also joining this group.
During the last international break, the England national team achieved 3 victories against the Czech Republic (back and forth) and Croatia, recording a total scoring tally of 12 goals to nothing, and also presented a strong and competitive performance against the world champions. The Spanish team, despite losing 2-3.
Although the last training camp, which included 4 matches, faced some criticism, Bellingham believes that it helped the team develop and flourish.
The English star explained: “I believe that the longer camp gives us an opportunity to harmonize, strengthen relationships, and spend more time together. “I believe that this is ultimately reflected in the performance on the field.”
Billingham concluded: “Sometimes it is difficult to get into the real rhythm of play when the period is limited to only two matches; It gains momentum and then the group disperses again. It was a nice experience. truly; Really good.”
