Odisha Likely To Host Hockey As Bid For 2036 Olympics Takes Pan-India Route

Bhubaneswar: Although Ahmedabad remains the focal point of India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics, reports indicated that a few sporting events could be held in other cities, including Bhubaneswar in Odisha, in line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) push for cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

There have been deliberations at multiple levels in the government and bureaucracy to make the Games “a movement for the full country” by taking some sports to multiple cities outside Gujarat. Given the scale of the event, the possibility of hosting hockey in Bhubaneswar, canoeing and kayaking in Pune, equestrian and rowing in Bhopal, and sailing in Chennai are being explored, The Indian Express reported.

Three cities – Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad – have been shortlisted for Cricket, according to the report.

Notably, the IOC approved proposals to allow multi-city hosts in 2014 in a bid to reduce the cost of hosting the biggest sporting spectacle.

“If India does come into serious contention to host the Olympics — and that is still some way down the line — the crux of the Games will be in Ahmedabad,” the Hindustan Times reported, quoting a top official of the Gujarat State Olympic Association (GSOA).

The official, however, added that India presenting a few existing venues in its pitch to boost its credentials against stiff competition.

Amid the aggressive bid to host the Olympics, sports infrastructure projects worth over Rs 6,000 crore are in the pipeline for Ahmedabad. To accommodate athletes, the government is planning a primary Athletes’ Village in Ahmedabad, which will serve as the base for participants, the India Today reported.

A significant portion of indoor events are likely be held at the Ahmedabad-based sports complex, which has advanced facilities designed to accommodate such large-scale competitions, it added.

On January 8, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited Kalinga Stadium while in Bhubaneswar for the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention and met Odisha sports secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma. The 16,000-capacity Kalinga Stadium has hosted a host of international hockey events, including the last two hockey World Cups in 2018 and 2023.

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