PARIS: India, Qatar and South Africa were confirmed on Tuesday among the seven countries interested in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics.
Germany, Hungary, Turkiye and South Korea make up the rest of the current list issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Other countries have until Oct 31 to declare an interest.
In March 2027, the IOC Executive Board will draw up a shortlist of the interested parties, who will then enter dialogue with the Olympic body.
The IOC said that the 2036 hosts would be assessed on factors such as funding, and political and public support.
“Wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do,” IOC president Kirsty Coventry said in a statement.
“That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point,” the Zimbabwean former swimmer added.
India has stated its intention to host an Olympics for the first time, centred on Ahmedabad, the key city in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Ahmedabad will host the 2030 multi-sport Commonwealth Games, seen as a major rehearsal for an Olympics. The city is home to the world’s largest cricket stadium.
South Africa hosted the 2010 football World Cup and the 1995 Rugby World Cup but has never played host to an Olympics.
Qatar hosted the 2022 football World Cup, although the awarding of that tournament was later mired in allegations of corruption within football’s world governing body FIFA.
An Olympics in the Gulf would have to be moved to later than its traditional July-August slot due to the heat.
The German National Olympic Committee voted last month to select Munich as its candidate city for a Games that will take place a centenary after the infamous 1936 Berlin Olympics which were overseen by the Nazi regime.
The Turkish Olympic authorities hope to go one better than in the bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics when Istanbul came second to Tokyo.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, while Brisbane has been awarded the 2032 edition.
Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026
