French President Emmanuel Macron has offered his nation’s support for India’s planned bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The announcement came during his state visit to Delhi during Republic Day ceremonies.
“We will be delighted to build a stronger cooperation on sport,” Macron said during planned remarks.
“We will definitely support your intention to organize the Olympic Games in India for the future.”
India has yet to propose a host city or region for the bid but Ahmedabad has stood out as the most interested city after launching a feasibility study and master plan for the construction of a major sports complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a letter of interest that was delivered to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year, initiating informal discussions on the issue.
Modi further underlined India’s resolve at the IOC’s all-members Session held in Mumbai last October.
Macron was an instrumental supporter of the Paris 2024 Olympic bid, traveling to IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2017 and welcoming the IOC’s Evaluation Commission and president Thomas Bach to Élysée Palace in the runup to the final vote when a tripartite agreement sent the Games to France and the 2028 edition to Los Angeles.
France is also the IOC’s preferred host for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games with the French Alps region likely to be awarded that edition in July.
“France will welcome the whole world this year with the commemoration of the Second World war, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and the Francophonie summit. You are welcome, our friends.” he said in his remarks.
The government of India and France released this joint statement to formalize the relationship:
Recognizing the importance of strengthening sports cooperation, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron agreed to boost youth exchanges and links between economic actors of the sports industry by facilitating the hosting of Indian sports delegation in French training facilities in order to create opportunities for Indian athletes, particularly with a view to major sporting events. President Macron conveyed that France would share its experience of hosting the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 in context of India’s bid to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2036, in particular by exchanging expertise regarding the organization of major international sporting events.
India’s Olympic bid has been the most active among at least 10 interested parties according to the IOC. Germany has launched a public consultation process for a ‘future’ Games while South Korea, Indonesia, Qatar, Hungary, Turkey, Egypt and U.K. have all publicly expressed some level of interest in the past.
The IOC does not disclose which national Olympic committees are involved in so-called informal ‘ongoing discussions’ and have not set a timetable for the election of the 2036 host, however the Future Host Commission has hinted that there will be no decision before the next IOC president is elected in 2025.
After Paris and Los Angeles, Brisbane in Australia will host in 2032. India has never hosted an Olympic Games.
