As India pitches for Olympics, IOC airs concerns on doping, governance, sporting performance

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.

The Indian delegation to Lausanne was headed by Gujarat’s Home and Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi and IOA president PT Usha. It included high-ranking bureaucrats from the Central and state governments, senior IOA officials, private consultants and corporate executives.

IOA chief Usha did not respond to queries from The Indian Express about the discussions. However, in a statement after the meeting, the delegation said that it “explored the opportunity and feasibility of India hosting a future edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games”. The statement did not specify a year but Indian officials have previously said that they hope to host the 2036 Olympics.

The official who spoke to The Indian Express underlined that the success of India’s bid would depend on how quickly the issues highlighted by the IOC are addressed. “It has been made clear to us that the IOA must get its house in order before serious talks regarding hosting the Olympics take place. That’s the starting point,” the official said.