Delhi To Bid For 2020 Summer Games

Delhi is already hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and India will co-host the 2011 cricket World Cup.

IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said, “we will start our preparations as soon as the 2010 Commonwealth Games are over. Delhi will bid for 2020”.

The bidding process for the 2020 Games begins in 2011.

Kalmadi added, “we thought of bidding for the 2016 Olympics because we already have the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and were planning to host the 2014 Asian Games. So by 2016 we could have had an Olympics for free, since by then infrastructure would have been in place”.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge told reporter Saturday in India that India had a great chance to win the bid for the 2020 Olympics as the country would become a “sporting tiger” by then. He said, “I am impressed to see your Prime Minister is so committed to sports. New Delhi should bid for the 2020 Games.

“We have a lot of expectations from India and we in IOC think India have great potential in sports.

“You have a young population of 70 per cent under 25, good infrastructure, and the benefit of past experiences in organizing the Games. You are also going to organize the 2010 Commonwealth Games and World Military Games and perhaps hockey World Cup to become a sporting tiger. It’s a matter of will and organization and we are going to support India in its training, expertise…and also financial resources”, he said.

“You have six years to prepare an impeccable bid. You have to unite for it”, he added.

Rogge said it was important for a bid to have “best possible collaboration” of the government and the sporting organization and private parties also. “There cannot be a good game without strong cooperation between the government and the sporting organization and private parties. It is for the prestige of organization that all governments try to do their best. Sport is a force for good in every country”. Write or read comments about this article