According to news from the International Olympic Committee on the 2nd, the list of bids for the 2036 Summer Olympics has been finalized, with seven countries including Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey shortlisted. The window period for submitting intention to bid has expired, and no new country has expressed its intention to bid.
Among the seven countries, there are both "old faces" who have hosted the Olympics more than once, as well as "new players." How interesting is this game? How many hurdles will the seven shortlisted countries have to pass in their bid for the Olympic Games?
Competition between “Old Faces” and “New Players”
Some of the seven countries have hosted the Olympics before. For example, Germany has hosted the Summer Olympics twice and the Winter Olympics once; South Korea also hosted the Summer Olympics in Seoul (now Seoul) in 1988 and the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018.
Although some have never hosted the Olympic Games, they have experience in hosting top-level individual events such as the World Cup. For example, Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, and South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup. If South Africa's bid for the Olympics is successful, people may witness the first Olympic Games hosted on the African continent.
India, Hungary and Türkiye have all never hosted the Olympics. Among them, Budapest, Hungary, applied to host the 2024 Olympics but withdrew midway, and Istanbul, Türkiye, failed in all five previous bids.
India has failed in its bid for the Olympics several times in 1996, 2004 and 2007. It had previously considered applying to host the 2016, 2020, 2024 and 2032 Summer Olympics, but ultimately chose to give up.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi previously stated that he would spare no effort to host the 2036 Olympic Games, calling this "the dream of 1.4 billion Indian people for many years." In September this year, Modi proposed in a university speech that India must host an Olympic Games that will "awe" the whole world.
According to Indian media reports, India will use Ahmedabad, Modi’s hometown of Gujarat, as its core city, and plans to build a sports center costing approximately 50.5 billion rupees (approximately 3.4 billion yuan), including an aquatic center, tennis center and indoor venues, and planning 22 competition venues.
Some commentators believe that in order to host an Olympic Games recognized around the world, infrastructure "hardware" such as competition venues and efficient and convenient public service "software" are indispensable. The British "Sports Insider" website stated that India must prove to the International Olympic Committee that its infrastructure, investment and sports reforms can provide a credible basis for the bid.
How many hurdles will the Olympic bid have to pass next?
Next, the bid for the 2036 Olympic Games will enter the professional evaluation stage, and the seven shortlisted countries will participate in the following process:
This month, seven nations will make virtual presentations to the Committee on Future Olympic Hosting Sites. In March 2027, the International Olympic Committee will complete the feasibility assessment; the Executive Committee will select some bidders and advance from the "continuous dialogue" stage to the "strategic dialogue" stage.
In December 2028, the Executive Committee will start a "targeted dialogue" with the further selected "preferred sponsors"; in mid-2029, the International Olympic Committee General Assembly will select the venue for the 2036 Olympic Games.
It is reported that the 2036 Summer Olympics is the first Olympic Games selected under the "Adapting to the Future" reform framework of the International Olympic Committee. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, chairperson of the International Olympic Committee's Committee on Future Olympic Hosting Sites, said that the enthusiastic participation of various countries in bidding has confirmed that the Olympic Games can continue to bring social and economic value to the host place. The International Olympic Committee will continue to work closely with the seven interested countries to provide professional guidance and technical support.
People will wait and see who will win the 2036 Summer Olympics in the seven-nation competition.
