Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a strong pitch for India to host the 2036 Olympics, saying the country will leave “no stone unturned” in its efforts to organise the quadrennial sporting spectacle as is the dream of 140 crore Indians.
PM Modi made the pitch as he declared open the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where India will present its roadmap for hosting the sporting extravaganza.
The IOC session is being held in the country after a gap of 40 years. The last Olympic Session was held in India in 1983 in New Delhi. Mumbai had won the bid to host the IOC Session when the Indian delegation led by Nita Ambani, the first Indian woman to be elected as an IOC member, made a compelling pitch at the 139th IOC session in Beijing in February 2022.
The session is being hosted at the state-of-the-art Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The grand theatre at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) will host the Opening ceremony while the exhibition hall (pavilion) will be the venue for the session meeting.
Here’s a look at the highlights of PM Modi’s keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai:.
- IOC Session being held in India after a gap of 40 years is a matter of great pride for us… India is ready for global sports events. The world has seen this during the G20 presidency of Indiax.
- Indians are very excited about hosting the Olympics Games. India will leave no stone unturned in organising the 2036 Olympics. This is a dream of 140 crore Indians. We want to fulfil this dream with your support.
- We are willing to host the 2029 Youth Olympics. I am sure India will get constant support from IOC.
- Sports is an important aspect of Indian culture and lifestyle. The language and spirit of sports is universal. There are no losers — there are only winners and learners in sports. Sports empower humanity. Whoever breaks records, everyone welcomes it.
- We (Indians) aren’t just sports lovers, we live sports. This reflects in our history of thousands of years. There is scientific evidence of thousands of years for our sports legacy. Dholavira was a flourishing port city over 5,000 years ago. Apart from urban planning, sports infrastructure had been found.
- Everyone is happy to hear that the IOC executive board has requested to include cricket in the Olympics. We believe that soon we will get some positive news in this direction.
- With special focus on sports, today India is performing brilliantly in international events.
- Our government is encouraging sports at every level. Khelo India University grants, youth games, summer games, MP sports competition, para games are examples. There’s inclusivity and diversity. That’s why India has been performing so well in international competitions. The historic performance at Asian Games is a signal of our changing sports landscape.
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