India gears up for 2036 Olympics bid with 10 new training centres
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As India ramps up its preparation for the 2036 Olympics, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has announced plans to establish 10 dedicated Olympic training centres across the country.
According to sources, each centre will focus on a specific sporting discipline and will host approximately 150 athletes selected through the Khelo India initiative.
The Khelo India Youth Games, scheduled to take place in Bihar from May 4 to 15, will feature over 10,000 athletes competing across 28 sports in various cities throughout the state. The games will serve as a platform to identify talented athletes who will be trained at the new Olympic centres.
Meanwhile, the newly elected International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kristy Coventry addressed India’s ongoing bid to host the 2036 Olympics. While acknowledging the submission of India's ‘expression of interest’ to the IOC’s Future Host Commission, she emphasised that the selection process is still ongoing and that her ideas for choosing future hosts will be shared in the coming days.
Coventry, the first woman and first African to hold the position, will officially take over from Thomas Bach on June 23, Olympic Day, following a three-month transition period.
India’s submission of a ‘Letter of Intent’ has moved it from the ‘Informal Dialogue’ phase to the ‘Continuous Dialogue’ stage of the host selection process. This phase involves a feasibility study conducted by the IOC to evaluate India’s infrastructure and progress related to hosting the Games.
The next stage, known as ‘Targeted Dialogue’, will require India to submit a formal, edition-specific bid to be assessed by the Future Host Commission before a final host is selected.
India is competing against over 10 countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, for the opportunity to host the prestigious event. However, a final decision on the host nation is not expected before 2026.