Will Ahmedabad be India's pick for 2036 Olympics? Preparation in full swing in the city, says report

India’s interest in hosting the Olympic Games in 2036 was made official by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week at the opening ceremony of the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai.

“India is very excited to organise an Olympics. India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the 2036 Olympics. It’s a dream of 140 crore Indians. With the support of IOC, we would want to fulfil this dream,” Modi had said at the event that took place at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre.

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While there’s still no official confirmation, it is expected that Gujarat’s Ahmedabad could be the city India will pitch for the 2036 Summer Games.

On Tuesday, a report in Indian Today said that the preparation is in full swing in Gujarat on 600 acres of land. It added that the Gujarat government has been given approval by the central government to go ahead with the construction and four sites for the same have been identified around Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

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Sardar Patel Sports Enclave, which includes Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, is expected to be the central part of the hosting area.

It’s not the first time Ahmedabad has been linked with India’s Olympics bid.

In August this year, the Times of India reported that the state of Gujarat had identified 33 sites where Olympic events could take place. Apart from Sardar Patel Sports Enclave, Naranpura Sports Complex, which is also in Ahmedabad, had been earmarked to host a number of events.

Among the 33 sites identified by the state government, 17 fall in Ahmedabad, six in Gandhinagar, and the remaining in other parts of the state.

In fact, as per the Gujarat Chief Minister Office’s website, the Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, in January this year held a meeting in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and directed for the “development of international level infrastructure in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, shaping near Narendra Modi Stadium for hosting of the Games included in Olympics-2036”.

It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Ahmedabad is officially picked by India as the city from the country that will bid for the Olympic Games 2036 hosting rights.

In any case, India still has some time to prepare for the Olympic Games 2036 hosting rights. The decision on the city that would stage the 2036 Games will not be taken before 2026.

“Any decision will be made by a new IOC leadership and not before 2026 or 2027,” Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who chairs the Future Host Commissions, said on Sunday.

The gap of a minimum of three years gives India the time to improve its infrastructure so that it can present a strong bid in 2026 or 2027 for the hosting rights of the 2036 Games.