Goa part of India’s 2036 Olympics bid, likely to host football and sailing

Panaji: Goa has been included among the cities that can host two sports disciplines, if India wins the ambitious bid to host the Olympics in 2036.
India is keen to host the world’s greatest sporting event, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi making it clear that govt is putting all its might behind the bid which can take Indian sports to new heights.
Gujarat’s twin cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar will host a majority of the 33 games that are scheduled to be played while a document that was officially presented in Gandhinagar last week lists four other cities: Goa, Bhopal, Mumbai and Pune.
According to the document ‘Review Meeting – Preparedness towards Amdavad 2036’, Goa has been shortlisted to host football and sailing. The Eka Arena in Ahmedabad will host the football preliminaries while Goa and Mumbai will host the main rounds.
“After hosting the National Games, which was appreciated by everyone, our next aim is to ensure that we are part of the host cities for the Olympics in 2036,” sports minister Govind Gaude told TOI on Thursday. “We have been in touch with Gujarat (govt) and even the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about the possibility of Goa hosting some disciplines. It’s important for Goa to host the biggest sports event in the world and I want to see that at least one Goan makes it to the Olympics.”
The sports minister said the idea of Goa being part of the host cities was first discussed during the National Games in Gujarat in 2022. “It was Goa’s successful hosting of the National Games that enhanced the state’s chances,” said Gaude.
Having hosted major football events in the past, Goa has the necessary infrastructure to host international football. The Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, constructed in a record time of less than nine months in 1988-89, has hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2022 and National Games 2023. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) was played entirely in Goa at three different venues.
The coastal state is also an automatic choice to host sailing as the national championships are regularly held here. Goa has also produced several national champions in the sport with the Coelho siblings — Dayne and Katya — both winning gold at the National Games.
The bid focus though will remain on Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar which has unveiled its ambitious plan to host the 2036 Olympics, with the final blueprint estimating costs between Rs 34,700 crore and Rs 64,000 crore.
Last year, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formally sent a Letter of Intent to the Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), expressing India's interest to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games.
At this stage, at least ten countries from four continents are discussing hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games with the IOC. These include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, Chile, Hungary and South Africa, with a decision expected only next year.