As India positions itself for a 2036 Olympic bid, questions over governance, infrastructure and sporting performance cast a long shadow.
India is hoping that it can make the cut for the 2036 Olympic GamesImage: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
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Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's intention to host the 2036 Olympics, pointing to recent reforms such as the National Sports Governance Act.
"The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the country is making strong efforts to host the 2036 Olympics, with the aim of giving more and more players greater opportunities to compete," Modi said.
In July last year, Indian officials visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne to present Ahmedabad, Gujarat state's fast‑growing megacity, as the proposed host.
Ahmedabad and the neighboring capital Gandhinagar have outlined an Olympic plan with cost estimates ranging from $4.1 billion to $7.5 billion (€3.8–7.1 billion).
However, according to several media reports, the IOC flagged three major concerns during discussions. These included governance issues within the Indian Olympic Association, widespread doping violations and India's weak Olympic performances.
A final IOC decision is not expected before late 2027.
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Experts divided on India's Olympic readiness
Indian sports administrators and even athletes remain divided over whether the country is ready to host the world's biggest sporting event.
P. S. M. Chandran, a leading sports medicine and anti‑doping expert, believes that some of the challenges India faces are overstated.
"Pollution is not an issue since Ahmedabad — not Delhi — is bidding, and athletes can train elsewhere," Chandran, who has served as a team doctor for India at the Olympics and Asian Games, told DW.
As for doping, Chandran feels that the numbers are inflated because India tests more. He also feels that India's poor medal count matters least in bid evaluations.
"Ultimately, none of these concerns — pollution, doping, or medals — will determine the outcome. What matters most is money and influence in the bidding process," he said.
What to look forward to in the world of sports in 2026
2026 looks like a banner year for sports fans, with the highlight for most being the men's World Cup in June and July. The Winter Olympic Games will feature what many believe will be the best-ever ice hockey tournament.
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Australian Open: January 18-February 1
Jannik Sinner (left) of Italy enters the 2026 Australian Open as defending men's singles champion, while Germany's Alexander Zverev (right), who lost in the final, will be vying for his first Grand Slam win. Madison Keys of the United States is the defending champion on the women's side of the first Grand Slam of the tennis season and the first major sporting event of every year.
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Super Bowl LX: February 8
If the Australian Open is the first highlight of every sporting year, the Super Bowl is certainly the second. The championship match of the National Football League regularly attracts well over 100 million television viewers in the United States and millions more globally. Many who watch tune in as much for the halftime show as the game itself.
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Winter Olympics: February 6-February 22
The Winter Olympics is a multi-sport event, but the men's ice hockey tournament is among the most popular. The NHL players will be back, making this the first best-on-best hockey tournament since the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia — minus the Russians, of course. Canada's Connor McDavid (left) and Auston Matthews of the US (both pictured) and Germany's Leon Draisaitl will be among the stars to watch.
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World Baseball Classic: March 5-17
While Major League Baseball calls the winners of its World Series "world champions," it's a term perhaps more applicable to the World Baseball Classic. This year's edition will be spread over the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico, with the semifinals and final to be held in Miami. Led by superstar Shohei Ohtani (right), Japan beat the USA 3-2 in the final of the last tournament in 2023.
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Paralympics: March 6-15
2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games, held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. In Milan and Cortina 2026, around 600 athletes will compete in 79 medal events across six sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, snowboard and wheelchair curling. A new event, wheelchair curling mixed doubles, has been introduced for these Games.
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Formula One: March 8-December 6
Formula One enters a new season with a new defending drivers' champion, Britain's Lando Norris, whose McLaren-Mercedes team also won the constructors' championship in 2025. The 77th edition of the Formula One World Championship will be run over 24 races, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8 and concluding with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6.
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Champions League finals: May 23, May 30
The European football season reaches its climax with the Champions League finals. The women's final is to be played at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, while the men do battle a week later in the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Barcelona have dominated the women's tournament, reaching six of the last seven finals, winning it three times. Arsenal (women) and Paris St. Germain (men) are defending champions.
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Enhanced Games: May 24
The first Enhanced Games is to take place in Las Vegas. The competition, including athletics, swimming and weightlifting, allows athletes using performance-enhancing substances to compete without being subject to testing. As such, the idea has been widely criticized. The EG made headlines last May, when it claimed that Kristian Gkolomeev (photo) had set a world record in the 50-meters freestyle.
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FIFA World Cup: June 11-July 19
The men's World Cup is being held for the second time in the United States after 1994, with a few games also to be hosted by Mexico and Canada. This will be the first time that the tournament will feature 48 teams — up from 32 in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The defending champions are Lionel Messi's Argentina. Germany are in Group E, along with Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
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T20 World Cups: February, June, July
The 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup is to be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board from June 12 to July 5. For the first time, the tournament is to feature 12 teams, up from 10 in 2024. New Zealand are the defending women's champions. The men's version of the tournament is to be contested from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. Australia are the men's titleholders.
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Women's Basketball World Cup: September 4-13
Germany is set to host the the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup for a second time — after 1998. All of the matches will be played in Berlin. After the 2022 tournament in Australia featured just 12 teams, the World Cup is back up to 16 — the same number that took part in the event from 1990 to 2018. The United States are the four-time defending champions.
World Athletics Ultimate Championship: September 11-13
Another event to be held for the first time is the World Athletics Ultimate Championship — in Budapest. Unlike the regular World Athletics Championships, it only includes semifinals and finals. Which athletes are invited is determined largely by the world rankings. Olympic champions and world champions, like Oblique Seville (photo), who won the 100-meters in Tokyo, are automatically invited.
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WTA, ATP Finals: November
These finals are the most prestigious tennis tournament of the season after the four Grand Slams. The women and men compete in separate events at separate locations. The 2026 WTA Finals are to be held in Riyadh from November 7 to 14, while the men assemble for the ATP Finals in Turin on November 15. Elena Rybakina is the defending women's singles champion, Jannik Sinner is the men's title holder.
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India has experience hosting major sporting events. The Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1951 and 1982, and the capital also hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Ahmedabad is slated to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Shaji Prabhakaran, a football administrator and former general secretary of the All‑India Football Federation, said India must now project its capabilities globally.
"It is here that sports diplomacy matters. Qatar has also signaled interest, with infrastructure from the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a key selling point. It will be competitive," Prabhakaran told DW.
Competition for 2036 is already intense, with bids from Indonesia, Turkey, Chile, Saudi Arabia and others. Germany is also exploring bids for 2036, 2040 or 2044, with Munich, Cologne and Hamburg as potential hosts.
"If we don't make the cut in 2036, the 2040s seem more feasible," added Prabhakaran.
Althletes support Olympic bid
Renowned long jumper Anju Bobby George strongly supports India's bid, arguing the country now has the capacity to host the Games.
"We're no lesser claimants than Germany. We're ready," she said.
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George, a bronze medalist at the 2003 World Championships, highlighted grassroots talent programs and the National Sports Governance Bill as important steps.
The bill, passed last year, aims to regulate sports bodies, improve governance and ensure accountability. It established a National Sports Board to promote ethical practices and creates a National Sports Tribunal to resolve disputes.
Acknowledging doping issues, she urged federations to act decisively.
"Hosting the Olympics would elevate sports and the nation alike, with national pride on the line," she told DW.
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Should India wait a decade to host Olympics?
Citing issues such as pollution and a lack of infrastructure, veteran sports journalist Sharda Ugra urged caution.
"Ahmedabad's air this morning is showing an Air Quality Index of 175 in the unhealthy category. This will be noticed around the world," she told DW. "When you bid for an Olympics, everything is open to scrutiny."
She sees Ahmedabad as a city that is modernizing but is not yet ready for the global stage.
"Every Olympic city has been a well‑known, modern global city, which the German candidates are. Ahmedabad is trying to be a modern city and the next decade needs to show proof of that," she said.
Given India's scale and the diverse challenges across sport, infrastructure and environment, Urga believes the 2040s are more realistic.
"India must first host multiple world championships to demonstrate credibility," she said.
