India to host 11 events in next 6 months with focus on 2036 Olympics

Lakshya Sen returns to Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi, unseen, during the men’s singles quarter-final match at the India Open 2026 badminton tournament in New Delhi. (PTI photo) NEW DELHI: From January 2025 to June 2026, India has hosted 36 international sporting events in over 15 cities. A further 11 events are scheduled for the next six months, with rights already secured for 19 events from 2027 to 2028. These include the 2027 FIBA ​​World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Wushu Commonwealth Championship and the Asia Para Cup Archery Stage 2, all in Ahmedabad, which is India’s 2036 Summer Olympic bid city.At a recent meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a redesigned host selection process was approved. In 2024, India submitted a declaration of intent to host the 2036 Games.Under a new process chaired by Kirsty Coventry, the 2036 host will be revealed after a vote in mid-2029. Instead of the Sports Ministry, the burden of leading the push in India will rest with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Gujarat government and the athletes.The IOC added a strategic dialogue phase between the continuous dialogue and the final phases of the targeted dialogue with relevant parties. During the strategic dialogue phase, candidate cities will have to provide, among other things, “basic financial guarantees”.Among other things, candidate cities will have to meet criteria related to cost control and provide timelines for completing project milestones. India is currently in the phase of continuous dialogue.Other countries that have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics and Paralympics are Qatar, Turkey and South Africa.“The equipment will be of the highest standard”Another event in the next six months is the BWF World Championships at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from August 17. The venue faced criticism for poor infrastructure and lack of sanitation during the India Open in January when it was visited by bird droppings and stray monkeys.“The aim is to ensure that the facilities are of the highest standard. The minister (Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya) is monitoring the preparations,” clarified a source following the development.After the India Open, the Sports Ministry stepped in to put in place protocols for the maintenance of Sports Authority of India (SAI) infrastructure such as the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, including a quarterly review of venues.