The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is targeting a sharp increase in its athletes’ medal production at Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Games beyond in order to fuel a bid to host the 2032 edition of the event.
IOA president Narinder Batra said Saturday “the target [for 2020] is double-figure medals,” according to The Hindu.
“Then, if we have to bid for the 2032 Olympics, the target should be 25 medals in 2024 and 35-40 by 2028, otherwise they won’t even allow you to bid.
“You have make sure the performance is such.”
India’s best medal haul came at the London 2012 Games with a total of six.
The IOA is also looking to host other large sports events leading up to a potential Games.
“India will be a country which will host many events. We are looking at 2026 Youth Olympic games, and the IOC Congress in 2021,” Batra said, adding “we have also expressed our interest to host the 2030 Asian Games so that the infrastructure will be ready early and it will just be a two-year gap to the Olympics.”
Officials are also working to determine which cities will play host to events, and they say a decision may be made in a month from now.
IOA secretary-general Rajeev Mehta told the Times Of India “at the moment, Mumbai and Delhi are the leaders. But we can surely consider other cities like Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore) and Bhubaneswar.”
But Batra believes there is more time, he said “we will decide that in 2025. Mumbai, Delhi… right now we are calling Bhubaneswar as the sports capital of India.”
“We are allowed three cities, so it can be anywhere. The only condition is that it has to have an international airport.”
India’s 2032 Olympic Bid At Risk After Visa Dispute With Pakistani Athletes
Last month the International Olympic Committee (IOC) proposed radical changes to the Olympic site selection criteria that would allow the staging of events in multiple cities, or even across international borders – a move to decrease the costs and risks, and increase the sustainability of hosting the Games.
The IOC Session is expected to rubber-stamp new process at a meeting on June 25.
According to the current schedule, the 2032 host would be selected in 2025, but the new rules could relax the schedule, allowing for the naming of the Olympic host earlier or later than expected.
The 2024 Summer Games will take place in Paris, and Los Angeles has already been given the nod to host in 2028. Many nations have expressed interest in bidding for 2032 including Indonesia, China, India, Australia, Germany and jointly between North and South Korea.
India has never hosted an Olympic Games.
