India 'seriously' considering bid for 2036 Olympic Games, says Modi's sports minister

Indian sports minister Anurag Thakur has said that the South Asian country is "seriously" considering a bid to host the Olympic Games in 2036.

Speaking to the Times of India newspaper, Thakur said it was the "right time" to host the mega sporting event, often called the 'Greatest Show on Earth'.

"If India is making news in every sector, from manufacturing to services, then why not in the field of sports?" he said.

"India is looking very seriously at bidding for the 2036 Olympics," Thakur added.

India, the seventh largest country in the world and the second most populous which is waiting to eclipse China to become the most populous one in 2023, has hosted the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.

China, with which India is often compared in terms of economic progress, has hosted the Olympics once -- in 2008.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it was having preliminary discussions with 10 cities but is yet to reveal a timeframe for when it plans to award the 2036 edition.

Paris, Los Angeles, and Brisbane host the next three Games in 2024, 2028, and 2032, respectively.

Among potential rivals for the Games are Asian nations such as Indonesia and South Korea, as well as Qatar, which recently hosted the FIFA World Cup.

Germany is also considering whether to launch another Olympic bid despite strong domestic opposition, Reuters reported.

Thakur said the Narendra Modi government would consult the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and come up with a roadmap ahead of the IOC session in Mumbai next year.

"The IOC session is a prestigious event for India and whatever steps have to be taken to bid along with the IOA, the government will support them. It has to be a joint preparation," the minister said.

New Delhi hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 and the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Thakur suggested prime minister Modi's home state of Gujarat would be presented as a potential venue to host the Olympics.

"Gujarat has several times expressed interest in hosting the Olympics," he said. "They have the infrastructure ... It's also part of the state government's manifesto to host the Olympics in Gujarat," Thakur added.

India produced their best-ever performance at the Olympic Games in the Tokyo edition which was held last year (instead of 2020 because of Covid-19) in which they picked seven medals, including one in hockey after a gap of 41 years.