With the bid process of the 2036 Summer Olympics up ahead, French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly lent his confidence to India’s ability to host such a mammoth event. In an exclusive interview with Jio Cinema, Macron mentioned that India does possess the potential and stands prepared to host the event.
“I have a deep belief in your country and its future,” said Macron. “Hosting Olympics and similar events is within the capacity of India. However, it fully comprehends the intensity of competition for a bid to host such an event. I remember competing with Los Angeles for the Olympic hosting rights seven years ago in Lausanne, where that experience was a testament to how rigorous it is. The competition itself serves as valuable preparation.”
Macron’s comments have come as India is trying every bit to get the rights to host the 2036 Olympics. The Modi government has also made it clear that it is keen on pursuing these marquee sporting events. While interacting with the para-athlete contingent in Delhi after their successful campaign at the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, Modi mentioned an athlete-centric approach is being pursued by his government and a sporting culture is taking root in the nation.
Modi stated, “India is turning into a sporting society with a strong athlete-centric system. We are bidding for the Youth Olympics in 2030 and the Olympics in 2036. This confidence speaks volumes of the strides we have taken and the will to move forward in the international sporting world.”
India has done quite decently at multi-sport events over the years. Exactly a year ago, the milestone of crossing the 100-medal mark for the first time at the Asian Games and Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, the tallies reaching 107 and 111 respectively. In 2022, it won 61 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
As the curtain fell on the Paris Olympics, India was placed 71st in the medal tally. The United States was at the top with a total of 126 medals. This performance has given proof of India’s continuous journey in improving its standing in international sports and readying itself for the 2036 Olympics.
The endorsement from Macron comes especially significant in the backdrop of India building its sports infrastructure and developing the capacity for hosting global events, in general.
ANI