India among six bidders for 2038 Asian Games, OCA decision by 2028

India will have to wait until at least 2028 to see if its bid to host the 2038 Asian Games has been successful, with the Olympic Council Asia (OCA) confirming that six countries have expressed interest in hosting the event.

India submitted its expression of interest in April as part of its wider push to host major international sporting events. The country is also bidding for the 2036 Olympics and will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam said the process will involve several rounds of evaluation before the final host is recommended.

“We have received interest from India, the Philippines and four other countries to host the Asian Games in 2038. This shows the popularity of the Asian Games,” Al-Musallam said.

“There are still 12 years left. The calendar is well established. The Executive Board has decided to create an evaluation committee that will visit all these (bid) countries next year and then submit an initial report,” he added.

The OCA discussed the Indian EOI at the Executive Council meeting in Sanya, China in April. The organization now plans to begin a physical assessment of interested countries before narrowing down the field.

INDIA HAS A LONG WAY TO GO

Al-Musallam said the first round of visits will be followed by a shortlist before another evaluation takes place closer to the 2038 Games.

“Based on the initial report, we’ll have a short list and then we’ll go for another visit nine or 10 years before 2038 and then we’ll make a final report (recommend a host),” he said.

The Philippines are among the countries confirmed to have expressed an interest, while South Korea first hinted at its intention to host the 2038 edition in 2021, with Gwangju and Daegu suggested as venues. Mongolia has also reportedly expressed interest, although its formal EOI status is unclear.

India has a considerable history of the Asian Games. New Delhi hosted the event in 1951 for the inaugural edition before returning as host in 1982.

2038 OFFER UNDER MORE PRESSURE

The 2038 bid is part of India’s wider ambition to host more major sporting events. Doha is scheduled to host the Asian Games in 2030, followed by Riyadh in 2034, with both editions jointly awarded by the OCA in 2020.

The 2026 Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4 and around 11,000 athletes and around 6,000 support staff are expected to participate.

The scale of the Asian Games makes the 2038 bid particularly significant. The 2023 edition in Hangzhou featured more than 11,000 athletes competing in 40 sports, underscoring the logistical demands of hosting a continental event.

So far, India’s offer remains in the expression of interest phase. An OCA evaluation panel is expected to visit interested countries next year, with the first major evaluation and subsequent shortlisting set to shape the process that could ultimately determine the 2038 host closer to 2028.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 11:11 IST