India’s sports administrators are set to lobby intensively during the upcoming Paris Olympics to bolster the country’s chances of hosting the 2036 Games. They aim to advocate for the inclusion of indigenous disciplines such as yoga, kho kho, and kabaddi, should their ambitious bid succeed.
The Sports Authority of India’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) recently presented a comprehensive report outlining the measures needed for a successful bid to the new sports minister, Mansukh Mandaviya. This report identifies six disciplines—yoga, kho kho, kabaddi, chess, T20 cricket, and squash—for potential inclusion in the 2036 Olympics.
“We met the new Sports Minister yesterday and handed him the report. The minister said he will need a few days to review it. He also requested a detailed report on how sports can be promoted as a career option in India, how to engage the youth, and how to involve private sector players in sports,” a senior MOC member stated under anonymity.
While India’s preparations for the Olympic bid are advanced, significant lobbying with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the Paris Games will be crucial. The inclusion of host country preferences will be discussed later, as the decision on the 2036 host city will be made post the IOC presidential elections next year.
If India’s bid is successful, these proposed events will initially be introduced as demonstration events at the 2032 Brisbane Games before receiving final approval. During the IOC Congress in Mumbai last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s strong ambition to host the Games in 2036, promising that the administration would “leave no stone unturned” to achieve this goal.
The MOC member highlighted that including these sports would boost India’s medal tally in the 2036 Olympics but acknowledged the challenges ahead. “The sports ministry asked the MOC to prepare a detailed report on our readiness for the 2036 Olympics, including identifying new sporting disciplines that a host nation can propose, combating doping, improving national federations’ accountability, and finding private sector investors interested in sports,” the member explained.
The IOC allows the host Organising Committee to propose the inclusion of one or more sports popular in the region, provided they are played on all five continents and meet other criteria such as historical significance and broadcasting feasibility.
Winning the bid to host the Games will be challenging, as India will compete against countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Mexico, South Korea, Egypt, Chile, Turkey, and Indonesia. Additionally, these indigenous sports must be introduced as demonstration events in the 2032 Olympics, and India must support the establishment of federations for these sports in at least 70 countries worldwide.
“We will also have to provide coaching support and help organize international tournaments. There is still a significant amount of work to be done,” the MOC member concluded.
