India won’t bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games even if it organizes a successful 2010 Commonwealth Games, said sports minister Manohar Singh Gill Wednesday.
Gill was responding to a statement in Parliament by Samajwadi Party’s Jaya Bachchan, who said that a well-organized Commonwealth Games would give India an opportunity to bid for the Olympics.
Gill said, “some of my colleagues (MPs) said casually that we should be bidding for Olympics. I’m not sure India should be. Look at the poverty in this country, look at our infrastructure.” He added it wasn’t just his personal view saying, “it’s policy”.
He said, “there is a certain class of us who want these great events because it’s good entertainment. China spent Rs 50 billion on its Olympic Games. Think if you are ready to spend that amount”.
Gill assured the MPs that the infrastructure of the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games would be ready.
