As India pitches for Olympics, IOC airs concerns on doping, governance, sporting performance
World body says country has a lot to do on the administrative, regulatory and sporting facets before it can seriously contemplate hosting the Olympics.
An Indian delegation made a strong pitch to bring home the 2036 Olympics, outlining plans to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Olympic headquarters in Lausanne on Tuesday, and officially presented Ahmedabad as the candidate city. But the IOC’s response was candid: get your house in order before preparing the masterplan.
Sources told The Indian Express that during the meeting – the first of its kind after India expressed interest to host the mega event — the IOC flagged concerns over governance issues at the Indian Olympic Association (IOA); the rampant doping menace; and the country’s poor performance at the Olympics. At last year’s Paris Games, India finished at 71st spot with just six medals.
“It has been communicated very candidly that while India can continue preparing for its bid to host future Olympics, the country has to address these issues first. This was, in a nutshell, the big takeaway from this meeting,” an official, who was privy to discussions in the meeting, told The Indian Express.