India's 2036 Olympics bid faces Qatar challenge
Doha hosted the 2022 men's football World Cup after staging the 2019 world athletics championships and is also the venue for the 2030 Asian Games. The Qatar Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday that it is taking part in the 'ongoing discussions' with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in keeping with the process put in place for hosting a future Games.
'We currently have 95% of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games, and we have a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100% readiness of all facilities,' Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the QOC president and head of the bid committee, said in a media release. Turkey, Indonesia and Chile are also bidding for the 2036 Games.
An Indian delegation led by Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and including Gujarat sports minister Harsh Sanghvi – Ahmedabad is being pitched as the host city – visited IOC headquarters in Lausanne early this month and initiated the 'continuous dialogue' process.
While the Indian delegation spoke of how the Olympic movement can serve as a 'generational springboard for socio-economic development, innovation, education and youth pride, advancing both India and the Olympic Movement,' IOC conveyed that India must pay urgent attention to the governance crisis in IOA and an alarming rise in doping cases. The IOC team was headed by director general Christophe De Kepper and Olympic Games ED, Christophe Dubai.
'IOC has said that IOA, NSFs and the government need to be on the same page and need to put up a united front. They have also raised concerns over the rise in doping cases in India and called for strong anti-doping measures to be implemented,' people aware of the development in the meeting had told HT.
India seems to be taking strong steps in sorting out the issues. An end to the prolonged feud between Usha and IOA's executive committee members – they have refused to ratify the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as the body's first CEO – seems to be in sight. Both sides have met the union sports minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, and ratifying Iyer's appointment is expected to happen this week.
The new National Sports Governance Bill, which was placed in parliament on Wednesday, also seeks to rein in doping by strengthening the administrative mechanism.
The next summer games will be hosted by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane is the 2032 Games venue.
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