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The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is "very positive" about the country getting the hosting rights of the 2036 Olympics but feels that it's "premature" to predict anything right now as more countries are joining the race. Qatar is the latest country to reveal that it has begun a "dialogue process" with the Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the hosting rights of the 2036 Games, the first step in a lengthy process before a host country is selected. "We would like to believe that we are in a very positive state. But still it will be premature to say (who will get the hosting rights) because there are still countries which are jumping in. So that's where we are," IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said at a press conference here on Thursday. India, which submitted its 'Expression of Interest' last year, is one step ahead as it is in the 'Continuous Dialogue Process' with the Future Host Commission (FHC) of the IOC. The next step is the 'Targetted Dialogue ...
The long-standing bitter conflict within the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is set to end with the majority of Executive Council members, who have been at loggerheads with president PT Usha, expected to ratify Raghuram Iyer's appointment as CEO. The warring EC members had refused to ratify Iyer's appointment made by Usha in January 2024, the bone of contention being the Rs 20 lakh per month salary for the CEO, along with other perks. A stormy Executive Council meeting in September 2024, which was virtually attended by an official of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), had failed to break the impasse. It has been learnt that a rapprochement is set to take place on the prodding of the sports ministry. "The EC members have agreed to ratify Iyer's appointment and it's likely to be announced on Thursday," a source privy to the development told PTI. The warring EC members are meeting informally on Wednesday evening. A press meet has been called on Thursday, in which Usha and mo
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women's sports, telling the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports it has an "obligation to comply" with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The new policy, announced Monday with a quiet change on the USOPC's website and confirmed in a letter sent to national sport governing bodies, follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year. The USOPC change is noted obliquely as a detail under "USOPC Athlete Safety Policy and references Trump's executive order, "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports, signed in February. That order, among other things, threatens to "rescind all funds" from organizations that allow transgender athlete participation in women's sports. U.S. Olympic officials told the national governing bodies they will need to follow suit, adding that the USOPC has engaged in a series of respectful and constructive conversations with ..
Hoping that India will be among top five in the medal tally of 2036 Olympics, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the government is preparing for that Olympics by providing an assistance of Rs 50,000 per month to approximately 3,000 athletes and is making a detailed systematic plan for it. Addressing an event where the Indian contingent participating in the 21st World Police and Fire Games-2025 were felicitated, Shah said India is going to bid for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games and has already submitted a bid for the Commonwealth Games and has again submitted a bid to host the Asian Games. He said the purpose of hosting these events in India is to make sports a natural part of the lives of the country's people and different sections, such as the police and fire brigade. "A large number of new sports infrastructures have been developed. Under the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), around 3,000 athletes are being supported with a monthly stipend of Rs 50,000 to prepare for
The government is preparing for the 2036 Olympics by providing an assistance of Rs 50,000 per month to approximately 3,000 athletes and is making a detailed systematic plan for it, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Friday. Addressing an event where the Indian contingent participating in the 21st World Police and Fire Games-2025 were felicitated, Shah said victory and defeat are the eternal cycle of life and setting the goal to win, planning for victory should be everyone's "nature" and winning should be the habit. He said those who cultivate the habit of winning always perform exceptionally. The home minister said the Modi government is making arrangements to take sports to every village. The selection and training of children from different age groups in every sport are being done scientifically, he said. "Under the leadership of PM Modi, sports has been given great importance in the last 10 years. The budget has been increased by five times. The government is also prepa
Cricket's much-hyped return to the Olympics at LA Games will take shape at the Fairgrounds Stadium in the city of Pomena -- about 50km from Los Angeles -- from July 12 with the medal matches scheduled on July 20 and 29, 2028. A total of six teams each in men's and women's sections and 180 players will compete in the T20 format in the quadrennial showpiece, which hosted cricket for the first and only time in 1900. There are no matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 and most of the the matchdays will be double headers, according to the competition schedule released by the organisers. The only time the gentleman's game was played at the Olympics was in Paris way back in 1900. Only two teams, Great Britain and France, competed in a two-day match with the former winning the gold medal. With a total of 90 athlete quotas allocated in the men's and women's sections, the 12 competing teams can name 15-member squads. Cricket's growing popularity can be gauged from the fact that three venues in
Cries of It is warm! rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river legally for the first time in more than 100 years. Public swimming was allowed in designated areas of the Seine, including two newly built wooden decks near the Eiffel Tower and the Ile Saint-Louis in central Paris. Before sunrise, a municipal officer skimmed away the last few patches of algae with a fishnet. Soon after, a line of eager Parisians formed, towels in hand, waiting for their chance to jump in. Woos and cries of joy echoed across the riverbanks as the first swimmers entered the emerald-green water. Every swimmer wore a bright yellow lifebuoy tied around their waist, part of strict safety measures enforced by a dozen lifeguards in high-visibility vests. The current was weak, just enough to tug gently at their limbs a reminder that this is still a living, urban river. It's so nice to swim in the heart of the city, especially with the high temperatures we've been having
A delegation, featuring IOA President P T Usha and Gujarat's Minister of State for Sports Harsh Sanghavi, met officials of the International Olympic Committee here to "explore the opportunity and feasibility of India hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games". The delegation was here despite new IOC President Kirsty Coventry declaring that the entire host selection process was being paused and a working group being set up to figure out the "appropriate time" to identify a future host. She had, however, made it clear that officials from India, which is seeking to host the 2036 Games, were welcome to engage in a dialogue. The delegation also included senior officials from the IOA (Indian Olympic Association), the central sports ministry and the government of Gujarat, which is positioning itself as the future host. "This crucial exchange aimed to explore the opportunity and feasibility of India hosting a future edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," stated a press release f
Calling it a "strategic roadmap" for India's elevation into the top five of world sports, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Khelo Bharat Niti to create "world-class systems" of coaching and athlete support along with a robust administrative set-up to make the country a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics. Previously called the National Sports Policy and introduced for the first time in 1984, the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 will supersede the 2001 policy. It is a "guiding document" to formulate plans and schemes for betterment of the country's sporting ecosystem. "We have used the experience of the last 10 years and the new policy will work towards improvement of sports. Major objective is to make India a top-five sporting nation by 2047. That's the overall objective," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters while unveiling the policy and other cabinet decisions. "The PM has given a different kind of emphasis to sports, especially in rural areas," he ...
India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics is not merely an attempt to make a statement internationally but also a well thought out plan to create world-class infrastructure, bolster the economy and tackle pressing social issues affecting the country's youth, says Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse. In an exclusive interview to PTI, the 38-year-old three-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra's Raver constituency, dismissed criticism from some quarters that the country needs to focus more on becoming a sporting powerhouse before aiming for something as expensive as hosting the Olympics. "Preparing to host events like the 2036 Olympics or the 2030 Commonwealth Games is about creating world-class infrastructure, economic investment, and legacy systems that directly benefit athlete development," she asserted in the interaction at her office here. "Sports is also a way to deal with so many issues such as depression and even drug addiction. And keeping all this in mind, when you bring an
Cricket will feature six teams battling for top honours when the sport returns to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games after a gap of 128 years. This was confirmed by the organisers on Wednesday. Cricket last featured at the Olympics in the 1900 edition of the Games in Paris, where a one-off, two-day match between Great Britain and France was held, which is now recognised as an unofficial Test. At LA 2028, cricket will be played in the T20 format, with six teams competing in both the men's and women's competitions. Every team will be able to name a 15-member squad as a total of 90 athlete quotas have been allocated for each gender. The International Cricket Council (ICC) consists of 12 full members in Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Another 94 countries form the associate members group. Qualification criteria for the 2028 Games are yet to be confirmed for the cricket