‘India is ready to host 2036 Summer Olympics’: Anurag Thakur tells NDTV

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said India is ready to host the 2030 Youth Olympics as well as the 2036 Summer Olympics. Addressing an NDTV Yuva conclave, Thakur assured that the Indian delegation will improve its medal tally at the upcoming Paris Olympics later this year. After the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 2028 and 2032 Olympics will be hosted by Los Angeles and Brisbane respectively.

“We will increase the medal tally at Paris 2024. We are ready to host the 2030 Youth Olympics and the 2036 Summer Olympics in India,” Anurag Thakur told the NDTV Yuva Conclave.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed the country’s desire to host the 2036 Olympics at the International Olympic Committee meeting in Mumbai last year.

Meanwhile, veteran table tennis player and reigning CWG champion Sharath Kamal will be the Indian flag bearer at the Paris Olympics 2024, while legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was appointed as the head of the Indian delegation on Thursday.

Sharath Kamal expressed his happiness on receiving this honour.

“It’s been an incredible three weeks. From not even being sure of qualifying for the Olympics, to performing in Singapore last week and jumping 54 places in the rankings, to being named the flag-bearer for India,” Kamal told PTI.

“Considering that this will be my fifth and last Olympics, it’s the biggest honor and fairytale stuff. And, globally, not many TT athletes get this honor. I just got a call from the IOA , I couldn’t believe it.” Kamal served as India’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and went on to win three gold medals.

Mary Kom and former hockey captain Manpreet Singh are India’s flag bearers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Hockey player Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovrina Borgohain served as India’s flag bearers at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou.

(with PTI input)