Bach to visit India amid 2024 bid speculation
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NEW DELHI: IOC president Thomas Bach will visit India this month amid speculation of a bid for the 2024 Olympics by New Delhi or the western city of Ahmedabad.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narayana Ramachandran confirmed Bach was invited to India, and refrained from talking about the bid.
Bach was invited by the IOA and government to visit in the last week of April, Ramachandran told the Press Trust of India.
Indian media say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is exploring the possibility of bidding for the games, and is keen on Ahmedabad, the biggest city in his home state of Gujarat.
IOA secretary Rajeev Mehta though said there were no immediate plans for a bid. “I have no knowledge of any proposal to bid for the Olympic Games,” Mehta told The Associated Press by telephone.
India has until Sept 15 to join Boston, Rome and Hamburg, Germany, who are the declared 2024 candidates so far.
India hosted the Asian Games at New Delhi in 1951 and 1982 with some success, but its organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was heavily criticised at home and abroad over corruption charges and delays in construction.
The IOA, which was suspended for more than one year by the IOC in 2012 for electing tainted officials from 2010, dropped its plan to bid for the 2019 Asian Games despite being provided a deadline extension by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2015
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Comments (36) Closed
Apr 04, 2015 11:54am
After economy, military, technology India is poised to become the next sports superpower.
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Apr 04, 2015 12:15pm
always the last line tells that it is an pakistani article
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Apr 04, 2015 12:19pm
India wil host Olympic 2024
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Apr 04, 2015 12:23pm
YESSSSSSSSS ! This will bring huge economic benefit, prestige, will create a bridge between India and the world... India will get to show its hospitality, it superb culture , its people, our way of life , our food etc etc .... I am sure we can and will get the olympics to India.
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Apr 04, 2015 12:27pm
I hope that helps in further improving the infrastructure in India.
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Apr 04, 2015 12:28pm
@Sourabh
Hosting these games will not bring gold medals to India but will bring a lo(o)t of gold for persons like kalmadi
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Apr 04, 2015 12:29pm
Instead of trying to do all this fancy stuff India should spent more in a planned and focussed manner to remove poverty within a time frame. When will poverty removal become more than just an afterthought or an experimental lab to try out our trickle down effects?
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Apr 04, 2015 12:37pm
Well it is no doubt that the 2010 Commonwealth Games was marred with scandals but perhaps no one can deny the opulence and the magnificence of the Games. Even we Indians were left baffled that we could pull off something of a scale such as this.
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Apr 04, 2015 12:37pm
We don't just make missiles for defence n rockets for space , we also hv stadium where ppl can share humanity....
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Apr 04, 2015 12:39pm
If India does get the nod then they'll have a fantastic reason to build on the old and crumbling infrastructure .....
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Apr 04, 2015 12:50pm
pls dont!!!! we have enough problems to take care of!
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Apr 04, 2015 01:01pm
Although it is an associated press news, feel the glee with which Dawn is reporting it, about little success that India had with Asian Games. Bear i mind PAK did not have enough to even think about bidding an asian game.... first intropect then spew venom about others capablities or sort comigs
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Apr 04, 2015 01:13pm
india asias first super power.....
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Apr 04, 2015 01:14pm
i am proud being indian
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Apr 04, 2015 01:15pm
credit goes to namo...we r lucky to have PM like namo
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Apr 04, 2015 01:18pm
"Ahmedabad will be a good venue but Hyderabad and Banglore has good facilities too,even we can include Pune".
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Apr 04, 2015 01:38pm
@Sourabh
My reply to you was not published by dawn. Hence would like to write again.
Hosting events like this will not bring gold medals. but people like kalmadi will definitely mint gold. If at all Indian sports has to come up(except cricket) the sportsmen/women have to be given respect. Just last week, an Indian team which had won the medal, were standing on the road waiting for the bus. Cant the sports assn. arrange for taxis so that these people would have reached home with dignity and with their heads held high?
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Apr 04, 2015 01:43pm
@neeraj it's an Associated Press article not a Pakistani one. Pakistanis are not as bad as the Indian press or people like you perceive us. We wish India well if they opt for the Olympics.
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Apr 04, 2015 01:44pm
It is prestigious, though money spent is wasteful.Hope Pakistan,Bangladesh,Sri Lanka, Nepal will also share games.
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Apr 04, 2015 02:06pm
Best time to organize this event, because under Mr.Modi corruption will be less .
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Apr 04, 2015 02:43pm
india is bidding in 2024. we must bid for 2016.
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Apr 04, 2015 03:03pm
@san - 2016 and 2010 are already given to Brazil and Japan. Now 2024 bidding has opened. Final decision will happen in 2017.
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Apr 04, 2015 03:04pm
@ashok kumar lal - Now India has a new policy. It will not share any sports event with any other country. Even 2023 Cricket World Cup will be hosted by India. Unlike previous editions it will be hosted by India alone.
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Apr 04, 2015 03:09pm
What a right decision. It will bring in huge benefit, as hosting city and near by cities has to upgrade infrastructure to handle large amount of people. Since Olympic committee will supervise it, all the city infrastructure will be upgraded to world standards. Commonwelath games of 2010 transformed Delhi and Afro-Asian Games of 2003 transformed Hyderabad.
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Apr 04, 2015 03:23pm
@ashok kumar lal Really?? Do you know without investment you cannot get return? To get something, you need to invest which can be either money or labor. If India would spend $10 billion for Olympic then in return they will get world class stadiums and tourists which can further generate billions of dollars.
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Apr 04, 2015 03:31pm
@san LOL. This guy/girl's a genius.
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Apr 04, 2015 03:59pm
Why Ahmedabad?Delhi badly needs this game to further improve it's conditions.This is the best chance to make it world class city like Beijing.Also due to CWG 2010 we already have good stadium,metro,AC buses ,hotels,monuments for tourists ..etc..etc in Delhi, So cost would be very less.....
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Apr 04, 2015 04:14pm
Hosting the Olympics is a HUGE waste of money. It offers tremendous scope for corruption - think Commonwealth games and multiply that by 10. No guarantees "clean" Modi will be in power till 2024. Olympics makes money for the country only if there will be a large bunch of tourists visiting during this time, and with the infrastructure so developed the economy can sustain continued flow of tourists and business to the area. This is doubtful in case of India. Also, those who gain - hoteliers, tour operators, infrastructure companies aren't those who pay for it - ordinary people.
Let the West, China and Middle-East host Olympics with their fat wallets.
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Apr 04, 2015 04:17pm
Just to remind you Delhi 2012 commonwealth games was definitely scam driven(because of that stupid Kalmadi) but the athletes never complain about conducting games through out or facilities...program started on dot and the second biggest welcome cheer was reserved for Pakistan after India!!!!
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Apr 04, 2015 05:11pm
@san. Brasil will host 2016 olympics in Rio.Japan will host 2020 olympics in Tokyo
To become host nation you have to bid 10 yr before in case of olymic games.
and 7 yr befor for commonwealth. india win that bid in 2003.
To win bid you need money and supports just for information to take cwg 2010 in delhi 422m$ were spend just to win bid.
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Apr 04, 2015 06:17pm
If China can host Olympics why can India... India has all the resources and will to organise the olympic and portray itself at world stage..
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Apr 04, 2015 07:11pm
South Korea a small country could organise Seoul Olympics.Pakistan should definitely bid for 2020.
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Apr 05, 2015 03:00am
Proud of u Modiji ..u r the best PM we ever had !
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Apr 07, 2015 08:58am
Modi's attempts to award largesse to Akhmedabad must be foiled.
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Apr 08, 2015 12:27am
@neeraj perfect observation
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Apr 08, 2015 02:17am
I think it is a bad idea. Big sporting events only drain the host's financial resources with no tangible profits in return. India should host smaller events (like sport specific championships) to reap some benefit rather than going for these big gala events of zero value. I'd rather spend half that money on improving the sports infrastructure in schools and universities to produce champions of the future.
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