India made public its intention to host the Olympic Games in 2036 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (October 14) saying that the country will “leave no stone unturned” to host the games in the said year.
"India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the Olympics in India in 2036. This is the age-old dream of 140 crore (1.4 billion) Indians," Modi said.
The Prime Minister's comments came at the Opening Ceremony of the International Olympic Committee’s 141st Session in Mumbai. IOC president Thomas Bach was also in attendance at the event along with the who’s who of the governing body.
"We want to realise this dream with your collaboration and support… I am confident that India will get the support of the IOC," Modi said.
He went on to add that India will also place a bid to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2029.
India has never hosted the Olympic Games, while it last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Ahead of the IOC session, Bach said the organisation had noted India’s “great interest” in hosting the global event.
There has been talk of India making an official bid to host the Olympics for a while now. However, it must be noted that the official bidding process hasn’t started yet.
The next edition of the Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024, followed by the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
The 2032 edition will be hosted by the Australian city of Brisbane.
Earlier this week, Bach had told Indian journalists that there are “serious considerations” about the possibility.
Last month, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country was hopeful of organising the 2036 Olympics, while Indonesia and Mexico are also expected to bid to host sport's biggest event.
Modi underscored that sports were not just about winning medals, but also about winning hearts.
