Got inputs on procedure to follow for 2036 bid:ministry on Indian delegation's Lausanne trip

New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) The Indian delegation that travelled to Lausanne to discuss the country's 2036 Olympic hosting bid with IOC officials despite a "pause" on the process has come back with valuable inputs on the procedures to follow going forward.

The delegation, which featured Gujarat's minister of state for sports Harsh Sanghavi, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha and sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, held discussions with several IOC (International Olympic Committee) officials.

Usha also met new IOC President Kirsty Coventry during the two-day trip that ended on July 1.

The details of these meetings are sketchy but a source in the sports ministry said, the team has gained good insights.

"Even though there is a pause on the process but from our end, a letter of intent has been submitted (last year). The delegation met IOC officials and sought guidance for the way forward. It was more about understanding the procedure. There was no bid presentation as such," the source said.

Coventry, in her first press conference after taking charge, announced a "pause and reflect" on the host selection process, saying that member countries were in favour of a detailed dialogue on what is the ideal time to announce a new host.

She said that a working group will assess the lessons from previous rights' winners' experiences and figure out a process that would be more acceptable to the member nations.

India is being seen a strong contender to host the Games in Ahmedabad, which is in process to prepare new infrastructure and upgrade the existing ones. The competition to India's bid is likely to come from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and even Indonesia.

Coventry had also acknowledged that the global south, which also includes the Indian sub-continent and Africa, have gone unrepresented in the Olympic movement.

However, a decision on the 2036 host is unlikely to come anytime soon. Earlier, 2026 was expected to be the year in which the host country for that edition would be announced.

Sports Conclave this month ================== The sports ministry is set to conduct a sports enclave which would bring athletes, coaches, corporates and national federations on one platform for a dialogue on the future of Indian sports.

It is likely to be held between July 18 and 20 before the monsoon session of Parliament gets underway.

"There will be discussion on strategy and roadmap for Indian sports in the backdrop of the release of the Khelo Bharat Niti," a ministry official said.

The Khelo Bharat Niti or the National Sports Policy has stressed on improvement in infrastructure, heightened monitoring of the functioning of sports administrators and making sports a people's movement, including closer collaboration with corporate houses.

"The monitoring group that is being planned will representation ministry of sports, education and culture. The aim is to take India into the top five of world sports by 2047," the official said.

The increased regulatory role of the government has been resisted by IOA President but the two bodies are trying to reach a consensus on the matter.

"There has been an ongoing dialogue. Things are moving in the right direction," a source said. PTI PM PM KHS KHS