PM Modi urges athletes to share observations on Paris Olympics for India’s 2036 bid

NEW DELHI: Confident that India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics will be successful, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged athletes bound for this month’s Paris Games to share their views on the arrangements in the French capital to help his government’s ambitious plan to bring the quadrennial showpiece here.

In an interaction with Paris-bound athletes, conducted both in person and online on Thursday, Modi said those travelling to the French capital would do the country a huge service by providing inputs from their experience.

“We are hoping to host the Olympics in 2036, it will help in creating a sporting atmosphere (in the country). Work is in progress to prepare infrastructure for it,” he said in the interaction, which was attended by the national men’s hockey team, the shooting contingent, boxers and track-and-field stars such as Neeraj Chopra among others.

The complete video of the PM’s light-hearted conversation with the athletes was shared by his office on Friday. The meeting with the contingent was also attended by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian Olympic Association (IAO) President P T Usha.

“I won’t ask you to do anything in the middle of your events but when you are free, I would urge you to observe the arrangements. Your input will help our bid for 2036. We will have an understanding on how to make sure that we are better-prepared,” he added in his closing remarks to the athletes.

The upcoming Games will be held from July 26 to August 11 and India would be hoping to better its best-ever tally of seven medals, including Chopra’s historic javelin throw gold, achieved in the Tokyo Olympic games.

Over 100 Indian sportspersons have qualified for the games, including an unprecedented 21 shooters, who would be aiming to end the medal drought of the last two editions.