India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics received a fresh boost as Union Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the nation's commitment to the bid on Sunday. (More Sports News)
While virtually unveiling the ₹316.82 crore 'Para High Performance Centre' in Gandhinagar, Shah announced that ten major stadiums will be constructed at the Sardar Patel Sports Complex, adjacent to the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.
"India has resolved to hold the 2036 Olympic Games in these 10 complexes. Gujarat has already started preparations for this event," Shah said.
The Minister of Home Affairs of India also suggested that the Para High Performance Centre will play an important role in providing world-class training to Gujarat's para athletes through excellent infrastructure for state-level, national-level and international competitions.
"It will provide a platform for the strengths of the differently-abled. In the past, people used derogatory words for the differently-abled, which created a sense of inferiority in them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instilled confidence in the differently-abled by giving them the respectful word 'divyang'," he added.
The Gujarat government, led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has launched multiple initiatives to strengthen the sports sector in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sports for All.' As a result, Gujarat now has the most extensive sports infrastructure in the country.
"In the year 2002, Gujarat's budget for sports was only Rs 2 crore, which has increased to Rs 352 crore today. This budget alone shows the government's commitment to sports," the Union minister pointed out.
During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Science and Technology, Gujarat government and the Centre's Common Service Centre (CSC) to ensure the comprehensiveness of citizen-oriented digital service centres in Gandhinagar district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially announced India's intent to bid for the 2036 Olympics back in October 2023, at the 141st IOC Session.
However, India's interest to host the Olympics first came to light in October 2021 when Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra suggested that the Narendra Modi Stadium could serve as the venue for the opening ceremony.
This was further reinforced in August 2023 when Sports Minister Anurag Thakur suggested Ahmedabad as the potential host city.
(With PTI inputs)
