The Road to LA 2028

 A WEEK AGO, it was 1,000 days left for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Most countries are well into their cycle. Preparations have started in earnest, blueprints are ready and a detailed plan is in place. Wonder what’s the story in India? Do we have a clear pathway? While we have won the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) and will mount a strong bid for the 2036 Olympics, the question that will confront us all is are we ready to make a mark in LA?

If India has to stand up and deliver, the next 500 days will have to do the job for us. One thousand days seems a long time away. Not so when it comes to the Olympic Games. Every single day will matter and every training session planned for our athletes will help make a difference. Money isn’t a problem with India. The government is way more proactive than earlier and private support has grown significantly. And yet, the six medals won in 2012 in London stayed six medals in Paris in 2024. It had gone down to two in Rio and went up to seven in Tokyo. However, the seven medals can also be attributed to Covid with some countries not able to prepare well on account of the deadly virus.

First, we need a united Indian Olympic Association. Whatever the differences between the president and the rest, it is time to bury the hatchet. Till date, I have not heard anything to suggest that the president and the executive committee are on the same page. LA 2028 is massive for India keeping in mind the Olympic bid and we need to power on all cylinders. A country with six medals doesn’t deserve to host an Olympic Games and we don’t really want that to happen.

I see things working if we plan well. The talent in India’s shooting scene is such that we should win five-plus medals in shooting alone. The Asian Games in Nagoya in September 2026 will give us a clear idea. Some of our shooters who did not fare well in Paris will have the experience going into LA. Stars like Sift Samra or Aishwary Tomar are hugely talented and should step up. With Suruchi Inder Singh there with Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh, women’s pistol seems sorted. While I don’t want to mention more names, the truth is shooting is one sport which can change India’s Olympic fortunes. With multiple medals up for grabs, the country should put a lot more emphasis into shooting. In fact, the world championships in Cairo, which starts in a week, will give us a sense where our shooters stand at the moment.

With the inclusion of cricket in LA ’28, two more medals are a real possibility. While the men look good at the moment, the women will need to do much in the next few years. The women’s T20 World Cup in England in June 2026 will give us some answers and help put together a proper roadmap for the future.

The moot point is there is no time to waste. If you want to host 2036, you need to win big in LA ’28. There is no further room for failure. And the preparation has to start with immediate effect. As Abhinav Bindra always says, “An Olympic Games doesn’t come every four years. It comes every day.”

It is the training away from the media glare, the hard work, which is routine and mundane at times, that will decide how India will fare at the 2028 Olympics. Unless we do well and win at least 10 medals, the bid, which is expected to be announced in 2029, could fall flat. It is essential that our administrators understand the importance and help our athletes get into Olympic groove sooner than later.