India May Host First Olympic Games In 2032 As IOA Submits Interest: Mumbai, New Delhi Possible Venues

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has submitted a formal expression of interest to bid for the 2032 Olympics, Indian Express has reported. The sports body is set to approach the Central Government seeking its help and support. Narinder Batre, IOA president had told Thomas Bach, Chief of International Olympic Association when he was visiting earlier this year that India would consider bidding for the 2032 Olympics.

IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta, had a meeting in Tokyo earlier this month with IOC’s three-member bid committee led by Associate Director Olympic Games/Olympic Candidatures, Jacqueline Barrett.

“We are dead serious about this bid for the 2032 Olympics. So, we have already submitted to the IOC the letter expressing our interest in hosting the 2032 Olympic Games. I had a meeting with the Bid Committee of the IOC. They welcomed the move and said that India should have hosted an Olympic Games much earlier,” said Mehta.

Mumbai and New Delhi are the top two venues on the minds of the decision makers present in the IOA. However, other cities and sites have not been ruled out by the body. This is the first time IOC has received an expression of interest to host the Olympics from IOA.

India will have a significant amount of time along with multiple challenges as the bidding process will start in 2022 while, the host city will be announced in 2025. After successfully hosting the Asian Games, Indonesia has also submitted its expression of interest.