India, Qatar and South Africa join 2036 Olympics hosting race

India, Qatar and South Africa are among seven nations that have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC confirmed the three countries on Tuesday alongside Germany, Hungary, Turkey and South Korea as the nations currently seeking to host the Games.

Interested countries that have not yet declared their bids have until October 31 to do so.

The IOC Executive Board will consider the interested parties before producing a shortlist in March 2027. The shortlisted candidates will subsequently begin formal dialogue with the IOC.

The organisation said the eventual host would be assessed based on several factors, including funding capabilities and the level of political and public support.

“Wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said.

“That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point,” added Coventry, a former Zimbabwean swimmer.

India is seeking to stage the Olympics for the first time, with Ahmedabad proposed as the centrepiece of its bid. The city is in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahmedabad is due to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, an event expected to provide valuable experience ahead of a possible Olympic hosting role. It also boasts the world’s largest cricket stadium.

South Africa, despite hosting the 2010 football World Cup and the 1995 Rugby World Cup, has never hosted an Olympic Games.

Qatar is another major sporting host in the race after staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, the awarding of that tournament was later clouded by allegations of corruption involving FIFA.

If Qatar is chosen, organisers would likely have to move the Olympics away from the traditional July-August window because of the Gulf state’s extreme summer heat.

Germany’s National Olympic Committee selected Munich last month as its candidate city. A Munich Games would come a century after the infamous 1936 Berlin Olympics, which took place under the Nazi regime.

Turkey is hoping to improve on its previous Olympic bid, with Istanbul having finished runner-up to Tokyo in the contest to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The next two Summer Olympics have already been allocated, with Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Games and Brisbane staging the 2032 edition.

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