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India wants to host the 2036 Olympics, PM Modi says
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Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, arrives for a five-day special session of Parliament in New Delhi, India, September 18, 2023. /CFP
Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, arrives for a five-day special session of Parliament in New Delhi, India, September 18, 2023. /CFP

Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, arrives for a five-day special session of Parliament in New Delhi, India, September 18, 2023. /CFP

India wants to host the 2036 Olympic Games, the country's prime minister, Narendra Modi, confirmed at the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai, India, on Saturday.

"India is very excited to organize an Olympics," Modi said. "India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organize the 2036 Olympics. It's a dream of 140 crore Indians. With the support of IOC, we would want to fulfill this dream. Sports is not just for winning medals, but it is also the best way to win hearts. It not only gives rise to champions but also promotes peace."

No city in India has hosted the Olympics before, but the country's athletes have given notable performance in the Games in recent years. They sent the biggest delegation, 124 athletes, to the last edition of the Games in Tokyo in 2021, securing one gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Modi also revealed that his country is willing to host the Youth Olympics in 2029.

"We are willing to host the 2029 Youth Olympics; I am sure India will get constant support from IOC," he said at the session.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), speaks at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, India, October 14, 2023. /CFP
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), speaks at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, India, October 14, 2023. /CFP

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), speaks at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, India, October 14, 2023. /CFP

The IOC President Thomas Bach praised India's performance in the 19th Asian Games that ended in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, on October 8. 

"India is an inspiring place. The entire Olympic community in India can be proud of the Asian Games performance," he said.

Cricket, one of the most popular sports in India, is likely to be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, as the IOC executive board approved it alongside four other sports on Friday.

"Cricket is getting more popular all over the world, and presently, Cricket World Cup is being held in India successfully," Bach said. "So we look forward to cricket players participating in the 2028 Olympics. Indian-origin people play a lot of cricket, and recently, we organized a cricket tournament in Dallas, too. Los Angeles had an opportunity for the same, and they included it in the events."

"India is capable of hosting big global events. We have the capacity, the logistics and the infrastructure to host the Olympics," Modi said.

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