The 2036 Olympic Games against the backdrop of the Sabarmati river is no longer such a distant dream anymore as it has been for some years now. With a lot of work done — some visible and a lot away from public eye — Gujarat has inched away from it just being an idea and moved closer to making it a reality.
There are compelling reasons to believe that 2036 is beginning to be look more viable for India, not the least being the strong backing of the Central Government. For me, the bigger reason is the strides India is taking towards becoming a sporting nation — in terms of supporting more elite athletes and encouraging more youth to look at sport as a viable career option.
With the Indian athletes becoming more fearless and confident of expressing themselves and being counted in international competition, with many states now chipping in to hasten the process, there can be no better time than now to move towards hosting the greatest sporting extravaganza. And it would appear that a lot of work has already been done in this direction.
Yes, at first, such bids seem a bridge too far, but with strong political will, effective planning, including to spread the cost across several years and to create a rich legacy of the Olympic Games, they are not all that difficult to obtain. If there is a purity of purpose and is backed by sincere action, it is a bridge that can be reached — and crossed.
Boston’s withdrawal from the race to host the 2024 Olympic Games, forced by the tax-payers, is too recent to forget. Hamburg, Rome and Budapest took a cue and opted out. However, unlike most cities in the West, the denizen of Ahmedabad will draw strength from the fact that the Indian Union Government is prepared to bankroll any budget deficit that the Olympic Games may have.
It is just as well that International Olympic Committee (IOC) now accepts – and, some say, even encourages – multiple cities as hosts. What’s more, with an eye on sustainability, it also encourages the development of temporary or demountable venues, easing the budget burdens on potential host cities.
What then are IOC’s primary expectations when it considers potential host cities? At the broadest level, IOC must be convinced that any prospective host city has a clear vision, effective engagement, ability to deliver a great experience, operational excellence, balanced budget and a good legacy plan for the Olympic Games.
The Ahmedabad Urban Development Area’s desire to host the Olympic Games has been backed up by deep research and sharp planning. Starting with engaging international consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct a gap analysis and pre-feasibility study and identifying areas to develop infrastructure are steps in this direction.
By all accounts, the Gujarat Government has already taken steps to acquire more land to develop sports and mixed use facilities needed for the Olympic Games. In August this year, it established the Gujarat Olympics Planning and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd. to draw up the roadmap towards securing the 2036 Games.
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There is a humble but confident and practical touch to Ahmedabad’s approach. This stems from an awareness that there are others cities and countries in fray. Mexico, Turkey, Poland and Indonesia have already thrown their hats in the ring. Egypt, China, South Korea, Qatar, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Canada may follow suit.
Budapest hosted a fabulous World Athletics Championships this year, Qatar staged a very successful FIFA World Cup finals in 2022 and China has been at the forefront of the Olympic movement, hosting the 2008 summer and 2022 winter games in Beijing and most recently a stunning Asian Games in Hangzhou. But none of this has made Ahmedabad take a backward step.
Then again, Ahmedabad also recognises that there is quite some time left before the IOC Executive Board instructs the Future Host Commission to move any of the bidders from the Continuous Dialogue stage to the Targeted Dialogue stage. It is aware that it has to be mindful of a vast checklist that is critical if its desire to host the Olympic Games is to turn into reality.
Over the next couple of years, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and any other city that joins the bid to bring the Olympic Games to India will have to work towards ensuring that important boxes, not the least being the ones on sustainability, are ticked so that the IOC Future Host Commission makes a strong recommendation to the IOC Executive Board.
The key would be to show to the IOC Future Host Commission the extent of interest while understanding the various elements and opportunities of the Olympic Games, an alignment with the long-term development plans and goals for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar and, importantly, demonstrate the extent of public support.
Indeed, Ahmedabad will have to do all things needed to deserve the vote of confidence that it can host the greatest sporting spectacle on earth on the banks of the Sabarmati river. With the Government of India backing, and overseeing, the application process, the metropolis can embrace the thought that each passing year only makes the Olympic Games in Ahmedabad a more viable one.
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