It makes more sense for IOC to give 2036 Olympics to India: Anurag Thakur | other sports news

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said it makes more sense for the IOC to give India the right to host the 2036 Olympic Games as the country is progressing rapidly in every field including sports. Speaking at the News9 Global Summit, Thakur said that India’s recent performance in major international events such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games gives him hope that the country can become a top 10 sporting nation by 2036. In top-5 till 2047.

“Last time (in 2020 Tokyo) we had the largest population to watch the Olympic Games and this time, it makes more sense for the IOC to give the 2036 Olympics to no one but our India,” Thakur said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed the country’s desire to host the Olympics in 2036 during the IOC session in Mumbai last year and when asked if India was ready to host the mega event and which city could host, So Thakur said, “PM Modi made it clear during the IOC session that India is very serious about hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics, and before that we want to host the 2030 Youth Olympics. And, I have a reason to say so.” reason.

“If you look at India in the last 10 years, we have become the fifth largest economy in the world. If you look sector by sector, India is performing very well…the fifth largest in terms of economy, the next In five years, we are going to be the third largest.

“By 2036, the Indian economy will be huge, the sports infrastructure is also getting better with every passing day. Our population is 1.4 billion, of which 65 per cent are below 35. This is 1/6th of the total population Most of the world lives in India, so what could be a bigger market (for the Olympics) than this.

“Then, I have set a target of 2036, India will be in the top 10 medal winning countries and (by 2047) will be in the top 5 medal winning countries,” he said.

Thakur is hopeful that the Olympic Games will also see a huge turnout and compared it to where cricket was before the country won the World Cup for the first time and how drastically things have changed now.

“If you look at 1983 (World Cup win), before that even in cricket we did not have enough money. When the team won the World Cup, even the BCCI did not have enough money to pay them (players of the winning team). There was no money, or to celebrate on a grand scale.

“But when they (BCCI) fought the case against Prasar Bharati and won the case, then they won the broadcasting rights and the game changed. Then money came into cricket. That’s how BCCI has done well in its professional functioning for the last many years. .

“In the last 2-3 decades, we have seen many cricketers perform well on the international stage. So, in cricket we had a lot of stars to look up to. And, today, we have a lot of stars in other sports too. He said, “I think the time has begun when the mentality of the country has changed.”

He said the government’s focus and investment in building sports infrastructure over the last 10 years has given him confidence.

“The sports budget has been increased three times in the last 10 years. We have spent Rs 3,000 crore in creating 300 sports infrastructure. We have a lot of schemes for the benefit of the players, so that they can play better instead of worrying about the facilities. Can perform.” … How can they train, where will they train, who will give them money. Today it is not their concern, all they need to do is work hard and perform.

“This is why India has won more than 100 (107) medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Once upon a time, the son of a rickshaw puller or a tea seller used to worry about how he would reach the top level in sports. After Khelo India And Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), food, accommodation and training etc. are taken care of and elite athletes also get a pocket money of Rs six lakh.

“Also, 3000 athletes are being trained in private academies funded by the government so that they can train well and play for India. There are 23 National Centers of Excellence (NCOE), 69 SAI Centers and 1,075 Khelo India Centers across the country. This is the pace, the size and scale of work we are doing today,” he said, urging state governments to also help.

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