Speaking on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeated his government's stated goal of securing the 2036 Olympic Games for India, pointing to the country's youth as a factor in developing its sporting capacity while preparations for several forthcoming international competitions remain ongoing.
At the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya, Modi pointed to the prospect of hosting international competitions as a pathway through which aspiring athletes could gain access to better facilities, broader exposure, and the backing needed to perform at the highest level, noting that India is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Modi expressed the country's intention to pursue a bid for the 2036 Olympics, and pointed to the years ahead as a period when India's hosting of major international sporting events would open up opportunities, resources, and backing for young athletes across the country. Plans to broaden sporting access across the nation — through infrastructure investment and the development of frameworks designed to bring on younger athletes — were outlined by the Prime Minister.
He pointed to the importance of helping young people see sports as a path worth pursuing professionally, not simply as leisure, and noted that each youngster brings their own distinct aspirations and abilities to the table. He described that rationale as driving the country's push to broaden sport beyond its role as mere entertainment.
Modi pointed to expanded training resources and support networks for young athletes as evidence of broader advancement in the country's sports development, while also citing a rise in India's results at international competitions, adding that the potential for further growth remained open-ended. He expressed the view that the younger generation holds the potential to elevate India's standing in global sport.
Seven nations, India among them, have entered into formal discussions with the International Olympic Committee over the prospect of staging the 2036 Olympic Games. The six additional nations are Germany, Hungary, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Türkiye.
On 1 October 2024, a Letter of Intent reached the IOC's Future Host Commission from India, placing the country among those pursuing the right to stage both the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Under the IOC's multi-stage selection process, the Executive Board is due to name the parties moving forward by March 2027, with IOC members scheduled to vote on the final host city around the middle of 2029.
Ahmedabad is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, an event that will give India a platform to demonstrate its organisational capabilities on the international sporting stage ahead of any Olympic bid deliberations.
On Sunday, Modi travelled to Chennai, where a series of engagements included the formal launch of development projects spanning Tamil Nadu. That morning, he stood alongside Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the inaugural run of a train on the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II network, taking part in the flag-off ceremony. Both travelled aboard the first run linking Porur with Poonamallee.
