Hosting the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games is becoming a competition, as India and six other countries have expressed their interest in hosting the largest sporting event in the world. The International Olympic Committee officially declared India, Germany, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa, Türkiye and Hungary to be potential hosts on 6th October 2026. The process of choosing the host is ongoing and currently there is no winner. 

Hosting the Olympics in India will give the country an opportunity to develop its sporting facilities and host the Olympics in a country that has the largest population and growing interest in international games. Ahmedabad is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will help Ahmedabad to gain experience in organizing such a massive event. New sporting facilities that are planned in the city, including the future Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, are an important part of the bid to host the Olympic Games in the city.

With Qatar having had experience from hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, there is some experience gained from hosting sporting events. The summer season can present problems with the high temperatures prevailing during that time. South Korea has also hosted the Olympic Games in the past while Germany had the Summer Olympics in Munich in 1972. All these countries have experience of hosting sporting events and have infrastructure facilities to host the event.

South Africa wishes to bring the Olympics for the first time on African soil by hosting the Olympics at Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Türkiye has the city of Istanbul associated with its Olympic dreams. Turkey had made attempts to host the Summer Games in the past. Budapest of Hungary which is famous for sports can be the venue.

The evaluation by the IOC will include venues, athletes’ experience, funding, political and public backing, execution ability, and legacy for the host community. The Executive Board is likely to put forward the interested cities in March 2027; then, the selected hosts go through another phase before the final host selection which is likely to take place in mid-2029.

Ahmedabad needs to convert its dreams into a credible and sustainable proposal. It should be remembered that it will not depend on the extent of the project, but on the ability of the applicant to provide a safe, accessible, and memorable Olympic experience.