India Olympics – a ‘dream’ facing many obstacles

India says it wants to host the 2036 Olympics in what is seen as Narendra Modi’s attempt to cement his legacy, but the country faces numerous challenges in hosting the biggest show on earth.

The Prime Minister says hosting the Games in a country where cricket is the only sport that truly matters is the “dream and aspiration” of 1.4 billion people.

Experts say it is more about Modi’s personal ambitions and his mark on the world stage, as well as the message of India’s political and economic rise.

Modi, who is also seeking a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, will be 86 years old in 2036.

“Hosting the Olympics will in some ways enhance India’s reputation as a world power,” said academic Ronojoy Sen, author of A Nation at Play, a history of sports in India.

“The current government wants to showcase India’s rise and place on the world stage, and hosting the Olympics is one way to do that.”

India, already the most populous country, is on track to become the world’s third largest economy well before the scheduled Olympics.

India submitted a formal letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee in October but did not say where it wanted to host the Games.

Local media reports that Ahmedabad is in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, a semi-arid region where temperatures rise above 50 degrees Celsius (122F) in summer.

The state of Gujarat has already registered a company, Gujarat Olympic Planning and Infrastructure Corporation, with a budget of $710 million.

Ahmedabad is home to about six million people and at its center is a 15th-century wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that extends into the fast-growing metropolis.

The city is home to a 130,000-seat arena, the world’s largest cricket stadium, named after Modi. The 2023 Cricket World Cup final took place here.

The city is also the headquarters of the Adani Group, a conglomerate headed by billionaire tycoon and Modi’s close friend Gautam Adani.

Adani was the main sponsor of the Indian team at the Summer Olympics in Paris, where the country’s athletes won one silver and five bronze medals.

On Wednesday, Adani and his associates were charged in the United States with paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials for lucrative solar power contracts. The Adani group called the allegations “baseless.”

Despite its huge population, India’s performance at the Olympics is poor for a country of its size, winning just 10 gold medals in its history.

Sports lawyer Nandan Kamath said the Olympics are an “unprecedented window of opportunity” to strengthen Indian sports.

“I’d like to see the Olympics as a two-week wedding event,” he said.

“A wedding is the gateway to marriage. The work you do before the event and everything that follows strengthens the relationship.”

Apart from cricket, which will be played at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, India’s traditional strengths include hockey and wrestling.

New Delhi is reportedly pushing for Indian sports including kabaddi and kho-kho (team sports) and yoga to be included in the Olympics.

Retired professional tennis player Manisha Malhotra, a former Olympian and now a talent scout, agrees that global sporting events can help develop grassroots sports, but worries that India may take a top-down approach.

“The elite athletes competing for medals in 2036 will make a lot of money, but that will probably be the end of it,” said Malhotra, president of the private training center Inspire Institute of Sport.

Veteran sports journalist Sharda Ugra said India’s disappointing sporting performance (excluding cricket) was due to “governance structure, sports administration and lack of events”.

“So, does it make sense for us to build big stadiums just because we’re going to host the Olympics?

“The answer is definitely no.”

The Indian Olympic Association is split between two rival factions, with its president P.T. Usha admits there are “inherent challenges” to any bid.

After Los Angeles, the 2032 Games will be held in Brisbane.

The United States and Australia have extensive experience hosting major sporting events, including previous Olympic Games.

India has hosted the Cricket World Cup and Asian Games twice, most recently in 1982, but has never hosted an event on the scale of the Olympics.

Many are skeptical that this can be accomplished successfully.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi were marred by construction delays, substandard infrastructure and allegations of corruption.

Many objects today are in deplorable condition.

“India will need to seriously improve its poor reputation for punctuality and cleanliness,” The Indian Express wrote in an editorial.

“While the aesthetics of the stadium look good in PowerPoint presentations and 3D printing, leaking roofs or poor sustainability targets in construction will not help India succeed.”