Delhi 2020

[Sir Rols]

I doubt anyone here would rate them much of a chance, and it seems a tad premature with the CWGs still very much l;ooking to be touch-and-go, but it seems the Indians have already got their sights on 2020:

IOA had voted to bid for Olympics too

Amidst news of corruption charges, poor quality work, leaking roofs and organizational hurdles connected with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games, comes the news that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had decided to bid for the 2020 Olympic Games also at its General Assembly meeting held in December last year.

The IOA never made an announcement regarding this, just as it kept the decision on the 2019 Asian Games bid a secret till the Union Sports Ministry sought details regarding the bid.

The IOA was reluctant to reveal any official move for the Olympic bid, even though it had been talking about it for quite some time, with its president, Suresh Kalmadi, losing little opportunity to mention it at appropriate forums.

The Union Sports Minister, M. S. Gill, had, however stated in no uncertain terms a few months ago that he was not in favour of bidding for the Olympics.

The 2019 Asian Games bid proposal is still with the Government. It has neither been rejected nor accepted. There had been news that the IOA had already submitted a bid, though without the requisite letter of support from the Government.

With the Commonwealth Games preparations already turning out to be a nightmare for everyone concerned, there is very little likelihood of the Asiad bid getting the approval. There is also little chance of IOA submitting a late Asiad bid, with Government support, after the expiry of the deadline. The less said about the Olympic bid the better.

The Hindu

[FYI]

Well, this would put an interesting spin on things, especially if South Africa does bail out of 2020. Although, it would be the most 'curry spicy' race if we had 3 new frontier applicant for 2020; South Africa, India & Turkey. Oh, the drama that would create here on GB's.

[Lachie]

They will withdraw their nomination once the disaster that is Delhi 2010 is over.

[Sir Rols]

They will withdraw their nomination once the disaster that is Delhi 2010 is over.

Quite likely. From what I can gather, the report speculated that the decision to bis for 2020 was taken at the same time as they decided to bid for the 2019 Asiad - and it looks like the Indian Government is set to scotch that bid.

[micheal_warren]

They will withdraw their nomination once the disaster that is Delhi 2010 is over.

If the build up is anything to go by then the IOC wouldnt touch them with a barge pole

[Rob2012]

The stories coming out of Delhi at the moment are still worrying. Accusations of corruption, FAKED building certificates, venues which won't have test events, a swimmer injuring herself on a loose part in the pool in a test event. Let's see how 2010 goes. Even if it goes swimmingly, I still don't see Delhi getting very far this time around.

[Athan]

The IOC want to go to new frontiers, but of course they want the frontiers to be ready to host the Games. Rio was, South Africa can be, India doesn't seem to be

[LuigiVercotti]

Certainly as it stands now India has two chances of mounting a realistic SOG bid (none and SFA), but it's not just on the basis of the increasingly worrisome picture emerging about the Delhi CGs. India has bugger all prominence in the IOC hierarchy with only one current permanent member, and their other (honorary) member Ashwini Kumar was widely discredited with his role in corruption and the AIBA. Secondly India's Olympic sporting heritage is extremely limited when it comes to successful participation and as shown by recent previous games and in pronouncements from the likes of JR and JAS the IOC likes to see the host nation do very well at their own games.

[Athan]

Well, Spain was not good at all at the Olympics when we were awarded the Games but we did really well in Barcelona (6th on the medals table, our best result so far), and the same can be said about Greece (the worst result achieved by a host nation recently - 15th, but I know this is a special case) or Brazil (always worse than 20th recently with the exception of Athens 2004 - 16th). However, India does much worse than any of these three countries

[baron-pierreIV]

The IOC will need at least FOUR candidates to make the 2020 voting newsworthy. So they will need Delhi for a supporting cast.

The whole 2020 race might also turn out to be the Battle of the "D"s.

Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Durban (and of course, Rome and/or Istanbul).

Detroit anyone?

[memorabilia]

They will withdraw their nomination once the disaster that is Delhi 2010 is over.

Let's see... a lot of people were saying that Rio 2007 (panam games) was a terrible thing for Rio 2016...

[Jim856796]

Venue plan for a Summer Olympics in Delhi

Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics, Football Final: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - 72,000

Water Polo: SPM Complex - 6,000

Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo: New aquatics centre 12,000

Field Hockey: National Dhyan Chand Stadium - 20,000 (3 AstroTurf pitches)

Football: New Rectangular Stadium - 40,000

Volleyball, Basketball Finals: Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium - 14,500

Volleyball Preliminaries: NOIDA Gymnasium - 5,000

Wrestling/Judo: K D Jadhav II Indoor Hall - 7,000

Handball Prelims, Rhythmic Gymanstics: Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium - 5,000

Gymnastics, Handball Finals: New Indoor Arena - 17,000

Basketball Preliminaries, Taekwondo, Table Tennis: Refurbished Pragati Maidan Exhibition Centre Indoor Halls - 4,000

Weightlifting: Jawaharlal Nehru Auditorium - 2,500

Badminton: Siri Fort Indoor Stadium - 5,000

Boxing: Yamuna Indoor Stadium - 6,000

Fencing: Talkatora Stadium - 4,000

Track Cycling: Indira Gandhi Velodrome - 4,000

Shooting: Karni Singh Shooting Range

Equestrian: New venue

Tennis: New venue

BMX: New venue

Golf: NOIDA Golf Course

Rugby: Feroz Shah Kotla or Delhi University Stadium

Canoeing/Kayaking: Yamuna River, Delhi Temporary venue

Temporary Venues

Beach Volleyball: New venue

Triathlon: Delhi Yamuna River Banks

Modern Pentathlon: Delhi outskirts

Marathon, Road Cycling: Streets of New Delhi

Archery, Marathon start: India Gate Central Vista - 6,000

Outside of Delhi

Football Preliminaries: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata - 80,000, New Mumbai Stadium - 100,000, Hyderabad or Bengaluru, and a stadium in a fourth city

Sailing - Mumbai

[baron-pierreIV]

I really want Synchro Swimming at the Taj Mahal.

[adrianme17]

I really want Synchro Swimming at the Taj Mahal.

ooohhhh - that would be pretty! lol!

[Rafa]

Refer to the IOC guidelines of venue capacities.

[LuigiVercotti]

What we need is Nawal to come out and make a similar pronouncement re India as she did re Africa...

[Soaring]

I would prefer to see South Africa host before India. I've said before, I think it is going to be at least the 2040's before India can put together a solid bid, but I know some of you disagree.

[LuigiVercotti]

I would prefer to see South Africa host before India. I've said before, I think it is going to be at least the 2040's before India can put together a solid bid, but I know some of you disagree.

Common sense Soaring...and those who disagree need look no further than the Delhi 2010 schemozzle.

[Rob2012]

I don't think you can look that far ahead personally. If you head back 25 years, few would have predicted Beijing or Rio. 25 years before that who would have picked Seoul for 1988?

India's a huge potential new market, like Brazil and China, and will shortly be the most populous country on Earth. The problems with the CWGs have certainly ruined their chances this time around, and possibly even for a cycle after that, but beyond that I can see India becoming an increasing threat in bid races if an Olympics is what they really want.

Things can change quicker than people anticipate. Look at how Rio's outlook changed in the short years between the 2012 and 2016 bid races.

I can probably rule out India for the next 15 years, but for the next 30? Nah, I'm not brave enough to make that prediction.

[Sir Rols]

Things can change quicker than people anticipate. Look at how Rio's outlook changed in the short years between the 2012 and 2016 bid races.

And indeed, London, between Pickett's Lock being abandoned and Singapore 2005.

[Rob2012]

Well, indeed, well said JJ.

I just think that, as long as these Games are not a total disaster, even hosting a Games which are rough around the edges puts India in a much better place than other potential hosts were 20 years before their Olympics (assuming we're looking at late 2020s as the earliest possible Indian Games).

Where was Brazil 20 years ago, China, Seoul 20 years prior to '88? And of course the most extreme example, Japan 20 years prior to '64?!

India, when all is said and done, isn't in the worst place in the world right now.

I'm not saying they WILL host before the 2040s, just that I'm not willing to rule out an Indian Olympics going ahead before then based on their current problems.

[FYI]

^Absolutely concur. Who's to say where India's global positioning would be in the next 20 years. And by then they can use the; "well, we're now the most populous nation on the planet that is yet to host this thing".

Virtually no one gave Rio de Janiero any hopes for 2016 at the beginning of that race, since they failed to make the 2012 short-list, but look who actually clinched it in the end.

[baron-pierreIV]

When we look at the title of this thread, I don't know why I see Delphi 2010. Did the oracle say something?

[LuigiVercotti]

It's all well and good to be upbeat and extol the potential development of India economically and in terms of infrastructure but where is India's influence within the IOC going to come from? There is no one within the IOC now or on the immediate horizon within international sporting federations who will be the go to person to serve as the key lobbyist at the higher echelons. In fact since Chowdhury has been discredited and made an honorary member India's IOC presence has been diminished, not enhanced. And as shown time and time again it's the internal political dynamics of the IOC that will be a greater influence on the games being awarded to a host, and you need to have some heavy hitters in your corner otherwise you are going nowhere). And India's major push when it comes to international sport is focused on cricket, not world wide multi-sport festivals. The big rupees both in terms of economic investment and political interest is in the growth of the 20/20 IPL model which is what the Indian masses (as well as the Inidan government when one looks at how involved they have been with the likes of Lalit Modhi's tenure as head of the IPL) are far more interested in than a SOGs. It's questionable at best to expect the Indian NOC to be able to develop enough domestic and international political interest and clout to develop a solid bid that could result in an Indian SOGs particularly based on what is the current environment.

[Soaring]

I know it is easy to look back in retrospect, but one cannot simply state "Could you have imagined Brazil or China hosting 25 years ago?" Well, I was an infant then, so no. I can see India hosting some day, just not soon. I give them at least 20 years (five rotations), before they can put together a winning bid - that means they would vote in 2033 for the 2040 Games.

India has never bid for any SOG before, and it is quite unlikely they would win on their first try (China and Brazil didn't). Sorry, it just is not feasible to me, in fact, I view it as irresponsible. India is not China. It's economic engine is powerful, but it is not celestial. Their government is nowhere near as powerful. We are not in the 1980's when only two cities put in a bid for 1988. There is fierce competition now. And the headlines coming out from the preparations for the CWG are far worse than any Rio PanAm press.

On the economic side...

India ranks 139th in (PPP per capita) by the IMF. China is 98th, South Africa is 77th, Brazil is 60th, Turkey is 57th, Greece is 20th.

When it comes to GDP, India fairs much better at 11th (but it should given its population), China is 3rd, Brazil is 8th, Turkey is 17th, Greece is 28th, and South Africa is 32nd.

I just personally have a problem with a country that has per capita income so low hosting the world's biggest party. I had this same issue with China and Brazil hosting, and they are not nearly as bad.

In the end, this is just my opinion. I would very much like to see India host some day. I just think they need more time to prepare for the task.