In a significant move towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of hosting the 2036 edition of Olympic and Paralympic Games in India, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has formally submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’, expressing the country’s interest to host the Games, to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission.

There has been no official confirmation yet but according to reliable sources, the letter was submitted on October 1 with Ahmedabad as the likely host city.

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PM Modi had first revealed his government’s aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics in addition to the Youth Olympics in 2030, during the IOC’s 41st session in Mumbai last year, underscoring the importance of this bid to the nation’s sporting future.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organize the Olympics on Indian soil in the year 2036. This is the age-old dream and aspiration of 140 crore Indians,” PM had expressed.

During the Independence Day celebrations at his New Delhi residence, Modi invited feedback from Indian athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics, stating that their experiences would be instrumental in the planning and preparation efforts for the 2036 Games.

“India is preparing to host the 2036 Olympics. In this regard, the input from athletes who have played in previous Olympics is very important. You all must have observed and experienced many things. We want to document this and share it with the government so that we don’t miss out on any small details in the preparation for 2036,” PM Modi said at the gathering.

During his visit to the US last September, the Prime Minister reiterated his government’s aspirations of hosting the Games in 2036. “…Only a few days ago, the Paris Olympics concluded. Very soon, you will witness the Olympics in India too. We are putting in all possible efforts to host the 2036 Olympics,” PM Modi said in New York.

IOC President Thomas Bach has also lent his support, remarking that there is a “strong case” for India to host the Olympics, further solidifying India’s candidature.

Accordingly, India’s top sports administrators, including IOA president PT Usha were at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, to lobby for the country’s selection. The Sports Authority of India’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has also presented a detailed report on the measures required for a successful bid to sports minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya.

The MOC includes some of India’s top former athletes, high-ranking federation office-bearers and officials from the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India.

There have been reports of a push for inclusion of traditional sports like Yoga, Kabaddi and Kho Kho if India’s bid was successful. While it will be the first time, India has expressed interest towards hosting the Olympics, the country has twice hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982, and the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

For the uninitiated, the letter of intent doesn’t necessarily guarantee the hosting rights to any country, and a decision is expected only after the IOC elections next year.

The host selection process involves a series of phases, and with the submission of the ‘Letter of Intent’, the nation has now progressed from ‘Informal Dialogue’ to the ‘Continuous Dialogue’ stage of the process.

During this stage, the IOC will conduct a feasibility study that includes a wide range of areas, including human rights, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and sustainability, through the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

After successful completion, there is a targeted dialogue phase which would require the submission of an edition-specific formal bid, and would be assessed by the Future Host Commission. The process would finally end with the election of the host.

India will also have to face competition from several other nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, who are positioning themselves as strong contenders to host the sporting spectacle.