India has thrown its hat into the ring to host the 2028 U-20 World Athletics Championships to gain experience for its ultimate goal of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games in the country.
The letter of intent was handed over to world athletics chief and International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential candidate Sebastian Coe, who visited the country last week.
The effort to host the U-20 Worth Athletics Championships is part of a bigger picture than the Olympic bid. The Indian Express has learned that in a recent meeting between high-level officials and ministers from Gujarat and the Centre, it was decided to target international multi-disciplinary events and major continental, Commonwealth and world-level tournaments at the Olympic Games. Help the state gain hosting experience for major events.
Also on the agenda were the challenges posed by Gujarat’s weather in July and August – favorite months to host the Olympics – recommendations to relax norms for liquor licences, reaching some of the world’s biggest hotel chains to set up their units. State, and recruiting global consultants to prepare a strong bid and drive the story to the international media.
The discussions between the states and the Center came as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officially submitted its letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
While the IOA did not name the preferred host city in its statement to the world body, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that Ahmedabad was the government’s choice to host the Games.
For that, in the next five years, efforts will be made to turn Ahmedabad, which has little experience of hosting Olympic sports events, into a major sports destination.
The 2028 U-20 World Athletics Championships are part of a plan that includes the 2026 Fencing World Cup, 2027 Women’s Volleyball World Championships, 2028 Asian Swimming Championships, World Judo Championships, and World Athletics Relay Championships in 2026.
Multi-disciplinary events like Youth Olympics, South Asian Games, World Beach Games and World Military Games are also on the wish list.
These are just a few of the competitions included in an extensive list of more than two dozen single-sport events and nearly a dozen multi-disciplinary events prepared by officials. It must be noted that the list is in an exploratory stage and India may not necessarily host all of them.
“We were asked to make a list of marquee events in our sport and indicate the next available slot for India to bid. This is to test hosting capabilities as well as gain experience in organizing major tournaments,” said an official who heads state sports associations in Gujarat and is part of the National Sports Federation. said
One event India is targeting is the 2029 World Police and Fire Games. When the team from the sports world body went to race in Ahmedabad, they expressed satisfaction with the venue plan but suggested relaxing the liquor permit in the dry state along with visa-related issues.
The challenges posed by the weather were also discussed in the meeting between the government officials. High humidity, heavy rain and 30-plus degree temperatures may not be conducive for some outdoor sports, forcing them to consider alternative plans.
Sources said other months – September and October – were being looked at. However, it was pointed out that the IOC had rejected a similar proposal from Qatar in the past and this could affect the number of broadcasts. Finally, it was decided to discuss the matter with the IOC at an appropriate time.
India’s interest in the 2036 Games has grown over the past few weeks but continues to face stiff competition from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Indonesia. Recently, South Africa has also thrown its hat in the ring. A final decision is not expected before 2026 or 2027, the IOC said.