According to Indian Olympic Association chief, N. Ramachandran, the IOA has asked the Indian government for permission to bid for the 2032 Olympic Games and the 2030 Asian Games. Ramachandran hopes India hosting an international sporting event will help boost t participation and interest in sports other than cricket.
Ramachandran is optimistic of India’s bid being accepted as he believes the country and its economy is more than capable of handling an international event of the Olympics’ scale. Ramachandran also added that India was one of the few countries in the region which could pull off the event. He also stated that hosting an Olympics event would allow India to showcase its economic might through sport, emulating the change in perception that China pulled off when it hosted the Olympic Games in 2008.
If India were to bid for the 2032 Olympics and the 2030 Asian Games, it would need to overturn the negative perception it gained from the controversies surrounding the 2010 Commonwealth Games which saw Suresh Kalmadi spend nine months in prison on charges of corruption and inflating tenders. Athletics in the country will also need to be revamped in order to ensure more participation from people as well as competitive performances in international sporting events.