India’s Olympic Ambition

FOR A COUNTRY THAT has largely been an observer of the greatness of others at the Olympics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that India will leave no stone unturned to stage the 2036 Games sounds like a mirage suddenly revealed to be the real deal. The process for the 2036 bid is arduous as India joins a dozen other nations and cities that have expressed a desire to host the sporting extravaganza. However, there is a sense that the Indian proposal will carry heft and hold the attention of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as it evaluates venues and national capabilities. Before the session of the IOC in Mumbai where Modi went public with India’s intent, Committee President Thomas Bach acknowledged “serious considerations” in the country to stage the Olympics and said a project report that set out a concrete roadmap is now awaited.

It may not be a coincidence that the decision to mount a serious bid came soon after India successfully held the summit meeting of G20 leaders in New Delhi and its year-long presi­dency saw more than 200 events organised in dozens of cities, from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh. There is no overlap in terms of sporting facilities and the G20 events but there is a common thread of logistical and organ­isational capabilities, a test India passed with flying colours. There is also another important takeaway. India demonstrated its ability to negotiate and persuade G20 members over a text that brought about unexpected unanimity over the Ukraine war. This was, above all, evidence of India’s heightened standing in international affairs due to its strength as a major emerg­ing economy and the important role it plays in regional and global discussions.

A key part of a successful Olym­pic bid is the ability to effectively lobby members of the IOC and convince committee officials that the aspirant has the sporting infrastructure and logistical expertise to stage such an event. The Olympics can now be a multi-city event and though it is too early to zoom in on the main venue, the upcoming Nara­npura Sports Complex in Ahmedabad will have the capacity to hold 18 events and seat 7,000 spectators simultaneously. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, which is also under construction, is another feather in the city’s cap. There is also the Narendra Modi cricket stadium that can seat 1,30,000 spectators and saw a packed house at the recent India-Pakistan World Cup match. It is a fair guess that Ahmedabad may make the formal bid to host the 2036 Games.

The 100-plus medal haul at the recently concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou has injected energy and hope into the Indian sporting community. It has also generated greater public interest and support and, importantly, made sporting careers more acceptable. Domestic competitions across sport are becoming more competitive and financial rewards for athletes are convincing parents of the future prospects of a child pursuing sporting options. Just as the domestic circuit in cricket keeps players busy round the year even if not all can make it to the na­tional side, regular competitions in other sport—like swimming— can help develop and produce top athletes. While most sport federations are moving in this direction, there is a need to make competitions intrinsic to all disciplines. The Khelo India Uni­versity Games are producing good results but there should be a wide pyramid of domestic competitions at school, state, and college levels.

The Paris Olympics next year will provide a reality check as Indian athletes compete with the best in the world. The Tokyo Games yielded India’s best-ever tally of seven medals, including one gold won by javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. India will look to improve on this modest performance, and this includes im­proving in disciplines like field hockey where the men’s and women’s teams have promised much. The Asian Games gold won by the men’s hockey team and the bronze by the women’s squad have ignited hopes that India could again become a top nation in the sport. The gap between Indian teams and those from Australia, Germany, and Holland has been hard to bridge while Asian nations like Japan, China, and South Korea pose a challenge too. But restoring hockey glory is a key element of India’s Olympic dream.

A better performance at Paris where hopefully successes of Indian archers, canoeists, and shooters could be replicated on the biggest of stages will provide momentum for India’s 2036 bid and efforts to ensure a bright finish as the host nation. The acceptance of cricket as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Games integrates the sport with other disciplines that the Indian Olympic Association represents. Though held on a different scale, the organisation of a major cricketing league as an annual event—and the current World Cup as well—help establish In­dia’s capacity to stage major international tournaments. There is growing confidence in the government and among sport administrators that India will be up to the task of organising the Games which are becoming bigger with every edition.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi concluded with India winning 101 medals and finishing second behind Australia. But the run-up to the event was marred by controversy. Several corruption allegations were levelled and a subsequent inquiry became the basis of police investigations. The preparations were impaired by the sheer inefficiency of the organising committee that had to be sup­planted. In a memorable speech in Lok Sabha, then Sports Minister MS Gill (who died recently) told the House how he asked the lieutenant governor of Delhi to urgently start work on the Barapullah elevated road built to transport the athletes. The Games Village at Akshardham was finished barely in time and frontpage photos showed then Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the cabinet secretary in a bus with officials travelling to the venue to oversee work. In the end, the mon­soon withdrew from Delhi in the nick of time allowing work to be completed after Commonwealth officials discovered stray dogs roaming around the under-construction village.

Some 13 years later, there is a sea change with new public infrastructure coming up without being accompanied by per­vasive corruption allegations. The internal politics of sporting federations has diminished, though factionalism and politi­cal affiliations remain a feature of their functioning. As the turmoil in the wrestling federation over allegations of sexual harassment against its head BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh shows, oversight of these bodies is far from perfect. They still tend to be bastions of politically connected persons, often politi­cians who wield influence at the state and Central levels. The All India Football Federation has been mired in controversy and litigation for years. Some federations do not have key officials in place. All of this needs to be addressed sooner than later.

The 2036 bidding process will be a marathon, but right now India’s entry is seen as a concrete expression of interest and is more evidence of its desire to take a seat at the global high table.

Indian athletesIndian sportsKhelo IndiaNarendra ModiOlympics