It was a meeting to review India's Commonwealth Games preparations, but a discussion on how to take the country's 2036 Olympic bid forward also took place as Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi joined online for a stock-taking session by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya here.
The meeting took place on Thursday and was attended in person by top officials of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Sanghavi, who is also Gujarat’s Sports, Youth Affairs and Cultural Activities Minister, was flanked by some state government representatives during the discussion.
“They were there to mainly discuss the 2026 CWG closing ceremony during which the baton would be passed to Ahmedabad as the host of the 2030 edition. But during the course of the discussion, the Olympic bid also came up and there was a discussion on how to take the bid forward once the process restarts,” an IOA source said. “No big decision was taken but just a conversation on how the process will proceed,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had frozen the host selection process last year to reconsider its criteria, but it is expected to pick up pace by the end of this year or early next year. India were in the "Continuous Dialogue" phase of the halted bidding process, after submitting the “Expression of Interest” to host the Games in Ahmedabad in October 2024.
Apart from this, Mandaviya reviewed the preparations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow in July-August. “The meeting focused on ensuring seamless coordination among all stakeholders and strengthening support system for Indian athletes preparing for CWG 2026,” said a media statement from the Sports Ministry.
An India House is expected to be set up during the Games to support the athletes. The meeting also reviewed the progress of inter-ministerial coordination efforts being undertaken by the Secretary (Sports) with representatives of various ministries and departments regarding the “operational and logistical preparations” for Glasgow 2026.
“Coordination with Ministry of External Affairs, departments of culture and tourism are all a significant part of the effort to ensure smooth operations for athletes,” said a source.
Also read: 2 indigenous sports likely to be included in CWG: Mandaviya
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