The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Saturday have formally decided to file an expression of interest (EOI) to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
By the conclusion of a meeting by the IOA in New Delhi, the organization plotted a strategy that also includes a bid to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the 2030 Asian Games and an Olympic Session or Congress as early as 2021.
“We have made some purposeful decisions in this meeting,” IOA President, Narinder Batra said according to the Times Of India.
“From EOI for hosting global events to announcing new committees and commissions, it’s all formally plotted in our future roadmap,” IOA President, Narinder Batra said.
The aggressive strategy is designed to springboard India back into hosting major international sports events following the 2010 staging of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi that was plagued with delays, corruption and financial failure.
An Olympic event has never been staged in India, and the IOA has yet to identify any specific cities it may forward to bid internationally. In April International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach traveled to Mumbai when it was named as a possible candidate for the 2032 Games.
“It would be fantastic for Indian athletes to have their Olympics at their home country,” Bach said in April.
“It will give a boost to sports in India and develop interest in many young people to take up sports.”
Mumbai Named As Possible Indian Host For 2026 Youth Olympics, 2032 Olympics
Other countries have also been exploring the idea of bidding for the 2032 Games including Australia, Indonesia, and in Hungary after Budapest was forced to withdraw from a promising 2024 bid.
Last year Paris and Los Angeles were awarded the 2024 and 2028 Olympic bid simultaneously, forcing other interested host cities to line up early for 2032.
Thailand has expressed interest in hosting the 2026 Youth Olympics after the IOC promised to award the 2022 edition to an African city – ruling out cities from other continents. Botswana, Nigeria and Senegal are in the running for that event with a winner due to be chosen in October.
The Asian Games inaugural edition took place in New Delhi in 1951 and the city last hosted in 1982, but India be campaigning to prepare for the 2030 edition during the 2018 Games scheduled to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia starting in August.
The last Olympic Congress took place in Copenhagen in 2009, and it’s up to the IOC President to declare when the next will be held since it is not a scheduled event. But India could look to host a regular Session which are available to be sited starting in 2021.
Sessions are already set to be held at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October and in Milan, Italy in September 2019.
The host city of the 2032 Olympic Games will be elected in 2025.
