New Delhi: India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics received a boost on Wednesday after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a changeover process that will see the announcement of winners by mid-2029.At the 146th meeting of the IOC in Lausanne, the members accepted the request from the chairman of the Future Host Commission and the former president of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, to establish a new “Strategic Dialogue” in the selection process. The aim of the move is to increase the transparency and clarity of the countries competing for the Games. “The potential stakeholders wanted clarity. All stakeholders wanted clarity,” said Grabar-Kitarovic when explaining the changes. He said that the goal is to identify and select the participants in the 2036 Olympics by 2029.The idea is particularly important for India, which entered the competition by submitting a Letter of Intent in 2024 and is currently participating in the IOC’s Continuous Dialogue. Ahmedabad is still the city expected to host the Indian Olympic project.
Financial guarantees, site visits and final assessments
Under the revised process, interested parties will continue in the Continuous Dialogue phase before a shortlist is drawn up in March 2027.“Interested Parties will be shortlisted in the ‘Strategic Dialogue’ in March 2027 and will answer Future Host Questions and provide financial guarantees before being considered for the final evaluation stage, called Targeted Dialogue,” the IOC said.The Strategic Dialogue session will require the interested countries to provide answers to the IOC’s questions, demonstrate financial support and meet requirements related to cost control, project delivery time and infrastructure planning. The Future Host Commission will also conduct site visits to evaluate proposed sites and plans for future host cities.“During the transition period, they are expected to provide an initial response to the Future Host Questionnaire as well as major financial guarantees,” the IOC said.Following this phase, the shortlisted candidates will proceed to the Target Dialogue phase in 2028, which will be the final phase of the competition.
The IOC is expected to host the 2036 Olympics by 2029
“The partner must renew his offer. He must also provide all guarantees. The final decision on who will host the 2036 Games will be taken at this meeting in mid-2029,” said Grabar-Kitarovic.He also emphasized that prospective guests must provide “all guarantees, to provide adequate legal and financial protection.”India faces strong competition from Qatar, while Turkey and South Africa are also expected to be among the contenders. At the end of the Targeted Dialogue session, the IOC Executive Board will identify the candidates they prefer and put them before the IOC Session of the elections.The process of selecting Olympic candidates was halted last year by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who called for more serious discussions with potential candidates after feedback from IOC members.