India’s decision to bid for 2036 Olympics should be welcomed as it will not only be a befitting tribute to the hundreds of Indian sportspersons who have brought laurels to the country from international arenas defeating various odds, but also for setting up true international standard sporting facilities. The country has already hosted two Asian Games and one Commonwealth Games, along with cricket and hockey world cups a number of times and hosted the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017. So, it would be fitting for the country to host the greatest sporting extravaganza in 12-years-time from now to complete the circle of organising all international multidiscipline sporting events.
India’s likely competitors to host the 2036 Olympics will be Mexico and Poland. Considering the size and growing economic power of India, it appears that the East European nation will not be able to match the Asian nation’s might. India’s real competitor will be Mexico, which has already hosted the Olympic Games in 1968, apart from organising the football world cup. But what can go against Mexico is the fact that the city is situated 2300 meters above sea level. It created a lot of controversy in 1968 as the high altitude prevented athletes from showcasing their true talents. Many believe that Robert (Bob) Beamon managed to grab the Long Jump Gold with the help of high altitude by jumping 8. 90 meter, a world record that stood for nearly 23 years. There is no such problem with India barring the heat, which can be answered by organising the prestigious event in November-December, when the temperature usually comes down all throughout the country. So among the three contenders, India is perfectly suited to host the 2036 Olympic Games, provided the European nations remain impartial.
Citing the example of Greece, the birthplace of modern Olympics, there is opposition against India’s move to bid for the Olympics on the pretext that like Greece, the country will be under huge debt as a result of it. It must be noted that India will require INR 1. 66 lakh crore (around $20 billion) to host the games, which will not be very challenging to do for the fifth largest economy in the world. Although the expenditure is not overwhelming, India should try to limit government expenditure while preparing for the Olympics, much like the organisers of the Tokyo Olympics, where only a small portion of the 15.4 billion expenditure had come from government coffers. India should adopt the same model to prevent a dent in the country’s coffers. If India can bid successfully, it will be the fourth Asian nation after Japan, South Korea and China to host the greatest sporting event on earth. Surely, it is the dream of millions of Indians to host the Olympics in their own country. As 2036 is just 12 years away, there is virtually no time to waste to take India to new heights globally.
