India ready to host Olympics in 2036: Amit Shah

February 15, 2025
2:06 am

Home minister Amit Shah brought the curtain down on the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand by asserting that India was well capable of hosting the Olympic Games in 2036.

“I can say today that India has a very bright future in sports. We have staked a claim to host the Olympics in 2036, and we are ready for it. When the Olympics are held here, our athletes will win medals and make the country’s flag fly high,” Shah said in his address.

India’s bid to host the Olympics in 2036 is still in its early stages and the International Olympic Committee will not decide on it before next year.

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Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha declared the Games closed before handing over the flag to Conrad Sangma, chief minister of Meghalaya, the state that will host the next edition of the Games in 2027.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed Shah at the Indira Gandhi International Sports Complex. The venue has a capacity of 25,000 and was packed for the ceremony.

“Dhamiji has developed the infrastructure for sports in every district of the state. The sportsmen who have won so many medals for Uttarakhand have turned ‘Dev Bhoomi’ into ‘Khel Bhoomi’,” Shah said. “Thanks to their efforts, Uttarakhand has jumped from 25th position (in the last Games) to seventh position (in the overall standings)”.

Shah expressed optimism about India’s progress in sports in the future. He encouraged athletes and said that the government is creating world-class infrastructure and ecosystem for sports across the country.

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He pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken many steps to promote sports.

“When Modiji became PM in 2014, our sports budget was Rs 800 crore, but now, it will rise to Rs 3,800 crore. This reflects the commitment of the Modi government towards sports,” he said.

Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya also lauded the athletes’ performances. He said that the Games will be a catalyst in India’s journey to become a sports hub.

“The state ensured that no athlete faced any difficulty during the Games. It is the beginning of India becoming a sports hub,” said Mandaviya in his address. “It is the beginning of India getting into the top 10 Olympic performers by 2036. The country now has a sports ecosystem. It is moving forward in every aspect, including sports,” he said.