India is committed towards hosting the 2036 Olympic with urban development its core theme.
The letter of intent submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is not a guarantee that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will be awarded the hosting rights.
If India manage to win the rights, it will be the fourth Asian nation after China, South Korea and Japan to host the quadrennial showpiece event.
The nation is making itself Olympic-able by assigning the district collectors — usually a civil servant who serves as the executive head of a district’s administration in India — targets to create sports infrastructure.
This program is running adjacent to other suggestions, including a High-Level Committee (HLC) on Urban Planning under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) advising to bring in the best urban planners to transform a part of Ahmedabad, one of the potential venue, into a biggest sporting hub in India.
The city already boasts of the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket facility in the world.
Under HLC’s vision, various sporting venues, training facilities and supporting infrastructure will be a part of the transformational project.
The Indian Express reports, HLC’s national report has been recently submitted to the Centre for review while the state-level report will be sent to eight states, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The urban development in the process will also boost the quality of life, HLC chairman Keshav Varma feels. “With it, not only employability will be created but also improved quality of life as people would certainly aspire for a healthy lifestyle along with the development of a sustainable environment,” he said.
Some areas in the city will also be turned into new commercial, residential and recreational spaces with the Gujarat government forming Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) named Gujarat Olympic Planning and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (GOLYMPIC), established under the Companies Act, 2013.