India has taken the first big step towards its ambition to host the Olympics. It has officially submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’ to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission for hosting the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. India had several informal dialogues with the IOC regarding the matter before they took the final decision, as according to a report in PTI, the IOA submitted the letter on October 1.
“This monumental opportunity could bring substantial benefits, fostering economic growth, social progress, and youth empowerment across the country,” a source in the sports ministry told PTI.
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last year, talked about his government’s aspiration to host the 2036 mega sporting event in the country. He also talked about the same during his visit to New York this year in September.
“…Only a few days ago, the Paris Olympics concluded. Very soon, you will witness the Olympics in India too. We are putting in all possible efforts to host the 2036 Olympics,” PM Modi said in New York.
India ended its campaign at the recently concluded Paris Olympics with six medals, including five bronze and a silver.
A decision on the host will not be taken before the IOC elections next year and India will also have to face competition from several other nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, who are positioning themselves as strong contenders to host the sporting spectacle.
However, with the submission of a ‘Letter of Intent’, the nation has progressed from “Informal Dialogue” to the “Continuous Dialogue” stage of the host election process.
In this stage, the IOC conducts a “feasibility study” of the progress of projects associated with the Games in the potential host.
“As part of the Feasibility Assessment, independent sources in a wide-ranging number of areas are taken into consideration, including in human rights, through Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and sustainability, through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),” the IOC states on its official website.
The next phase of the process would be “Targetted Dialogue”, which would require the submission of an edition-specific formal bid, which would be assessed by the Future Host Commission.
The process would finally end with a host election.
