In India, there has been a big push to host the Olympics, with the country officially showing interest in the 2036 Games. However, Indian sports administration is still struggling with many internal conflicts. While India has made progress in sports, such as putting in its bid to host the Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has faced a lot of drama and complaints.
The IOA, led by the famous athlete PT Usha, has had trouble since she took over. She clashed with the majority of the Executive Council over the appointment of a CEO. In early 2024, Raghuram Iyer, who worked with cricket teams like Rajasthan Royals, was suggested for the position. However, about 12 members of the council did not support it and accused Usha of pressuring them. This led to anger and arguments among them.
In September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to suspend some funding for the IOA, which was meant to help athletes. This was a warning for the IOA to fix its issues. Despite this, the fighting continued, with calls for a special meeting. Just before India submitted its Olympic bid on October 1, all sides decided to pause their meetings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India wants to host both the 2036 Olympics and the 2030 Youth Olympics during a session in Mumbai in October 2023. Usha and the new sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya have promised to make athletes their top priority. They introduced new plans that support both current and retired athletes. For example, medal winners from various sports events can now qualify for government jobs.
Usha and Mandaviya also pushed for yoga to be part of future Asian Games, and it will be showcased at the 2026 Games in Japan. In addition, Usha proposed better health insurance for retired athletes. For the upcoming Paris Olympics, the sports ministry allowed more support staff for athletes, which is a big change.
The government has also shared a new Draft Sports Bill which aims to improve the transparency and accountability of sports organizations. Usha has raised concerns that it might take away the independence of the IOA and sports federations. Mandaviya assured everyone that the new regulatory body would not interfere too much.
Meanwhile, some of India’s strong sports like hockey, shooting, and wrestling were not included in the reduced 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games due to budget issues, but this didn’t generate much lasting outrage. On a positive note, Randhir Singh became the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia, and Abhinav Bindra received a special award for his contributions to the Olympic movement.
Looking ahead, 2025 could be a crucial year for India as it prepares to host a potential Olympics. By then, there should be more information about the 2036 Olympics bid against other countries looking to host, such as Poland and Egypt. The IOC will assess the bids through various discussions and may decide the winner by 2026.