Not yet informed of host city/region for 2036 Olympics: IOC
CHENNAI: India is yet to decide on a host city or region for the 2036 Olympics (bid). The International Olympic Committee welcomed “India’s interest in hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games” but said no potential host region has been selected so far. Not just that the IOC also informed this newspaper that it was mindful of the ongoing bitter infighting within the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) between its president and Executive Council members.
This means that the letter of intent sent to the IOC on October 1 by the IOA did not mention a potential host city or region. This newspaper had already highlighted that India is yet to select a host city or region to host the Games on several occasions. As things stand, the bid process may not be that easy without a host region or city and with infighting in the IOA.
“With its huge passion for sport and youthful population, India has much to offer for the future of the Olympic Movement,” said an IOC spokesperson (email) on Wednesday, adding, “The IOC has not yet been informed by the IOA of any selected potential host region.”
This seems to be in contrast to the IOC’s document ‘The Approach to Olympic Host Elections’, which clearly says, “To enter Continuous Dialogue with the IOC, the NOC is required to submit an official letter of intent to the IOC indicating the interested party (City or Region).” Though Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar were spoken about on several occasions, the names have not been finalized as yet.
When asked about the letter of intent submitted by the IOA, the IOC did not go into the specifics but said, “The International Olympic Committee very much welcomes India’s interest in hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games.
This interest has been expressed very firmly to us on a number of occasions by all levels of government as well as in our ongoing talks with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).” Though India is keen on hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, the IOC is non-committal about the edition. It said that as of now there are “interested parties from four continents discussing with the IOC in an informal and non-committal way about hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games.”
About the infighting in the IOA, the IOC said, “the situation of the IOA has been addressed by the IOC directly with the IOA in a self-explanatory letter. There is nothing to add to this situation.”
The IOA and the IOC have had a few meetings recently to speak about the Olympic bid process, but what transpired is not clear. It is understood that the IOC had been stressing on finding a solution to the mess.
The IOC’s National Olympic Committee Relations and Olympic Solidarity Director, James McLeod, in a letter addressed to the IOA president and all EC members last month, said that despite all efforts from the IOC there is no sign of any resolution.
“There are obvious ongoing internal disputes and governance issues facing the IOA including a number of reciprocal allegations which have been raised within the executive council,” said the letter. “This situation creates a lot of uncertainty and needs clarification and therefore until further notice, the IOC and Olympic solidarity will not make any payments to the IOA, except for direct payments to athletes benefiting from Olympic scholarships.”
As things stand, it doesn’t look too favourable for IOA. The IOC letter also said that a full update on this situation (IOA mess) was presented at the Executive Board meeting on October 8. The IOA president, PT Usha, and the 12 EC members are locked in a bitter and dirty tussle over the appointment of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Raghuram Iyer.