The growing race to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036 will not be decided before 2026 or 2027, it was revealed Sunday at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session currently underway in Mumbai, India.
Former Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović who chairs the IOC’s Future Host Commission for Summer Games presented her report to members at the Jio World Centre, clarifying that there was still time for countries to join the race in which Indian prime minister Narendra Modi formally entered his nation Saturday.
“Any decisions about 2036 will be made by new IOC leadership and not before 2026 or 2027, ” Grabar-Kitarović explained, referring to the mandatory end of IOC President Bach’s two terms in office and planned 2025 election of a new president.
Just hours earlier, several IOC members called for Bach to seek a third term – a move that would require a change to the Olympic Charter and two-thirds approval.
“The number of parties interested in hosting the Olympic Games is in double digits, and there is healthy pipeline of interest in the Youth Olympic Games,” Grabar-Kitarović reported without naming any parties, consistent with the IOC’s bid process that allows private discussions without any commitment.
As many as 11 cities have made public expressions of interest in hosting the 2036 Games including South Korea, Poland, Indonesia, Germany, Qatar, Hungary, Turkey, Mexico, Egypt and U.K. Those taking interest in the 2030 Youth Olympics include India (announced Friday), Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cambodia.
Grabar-Kitarović warned nations that aspire to host the Games must subscribe to the rules in the Olympic Charter “in all stages of the dialogue.”
“With the growing politicization of sport across the world, the universality of the Olympic Games must remain a guiding principal in the election of Olympic hosts,” she said.
“We have witnessed more and more government restrictions being placed on athletes access to international sporting competitions including governments prohibiting athletes to participate in international competitions in their country for political reasons.
“Good governance is one of the founding principals of electing Olympic hosts and it is important that all interested parties and preferred hosts commit to abide by the IOC’s code of ethics and rules of conduct for potential hosts.”
Indonesia has a history of excluding Israeli athletes from competing at international events and most recently the nation canceled the World Beach Games scheduled for last August in Bali rather than be forced to host a team from Israel. Indonesia is currently preparing a 2036 Olympic bid from future capital Nusantara.
“In the coming months the future host commission will hold a meeting for interested parties to update us on their activities and for us to lay out a roadmap leading us to Paris 2024 and beyond.”
Grabar-Kitarović said that during Paris 2024 the IOC will “run a high level experience program for interested parties to learn first hand about Games delivery.”
The 2028 Olympics will be staged in Los Angeles, and Brisbane in Australia will host in 2032.
