06-10-2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that Qatar and India are among seven countries currently interested in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics. The other countries listed are South Africa, Germany, Hungary, Turkiye and South Korea. Countries have until October 31 to declare their interest, after which the IOC Executive Board plans to shortlist candidates in March 2027. Shortlisted parties will enter discussions with the Olympic body, and the IOC says it will assess bids using factors including funding and political and public support. Preferred hosts are expected to be named in 2028, with a final decision anticipated in mid-2029.
Qatar has previously hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 Asian Games, and is scheduled to host the Asian Games again in 2030. Because of the Gulf’s heat, an Olympics there would need to take place outside the traditional July-August period. India has expressed interest in hosting an Olympics for the first time, with its bid centred on Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state. Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which are viewed as preparation for a possible Olympics, and contains the world’s largest cricket stadium.
South Africa has hosted major sporting events, including the 2010 football World Cup and 1995 Rugby World Cup, but has never hosted an Olympics. Germany’s National Olympic Committee selected Munich as its candidate city; a 2036 Games there would fall a century after the 1936 Berlin Olympics, held under the Nazi regime. Turkiye hopes to improve on Istanbul’s second-place finish in the competition to host the 2020 Games. The IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, said athletes’ experience should be central to planning future Games. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics, and Brisbane has been awarded the 2032 edition.
Entities: International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, Narendra Modi, Qatar, India • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
06-10-2026
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that India and Qatar are among seven countries discussing a possible bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games. The other countries are South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. The IOC says some discussions may also concern hosting the 2040 or 2044 Games. India and Qatar have long been viewed as leading candidates, but the host-selection process is expected to conclude with a contested vote among more than 100 IOC members in 2029. The IOC set an Oct. 31 deadline for other national Olympic committees to join the 2036 contest. In March, the executive board, chaired by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, is expected to approve a shortlist of candidates that can develop detailed plans. India’s proposal centres on Ahmedabad, which will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is home to the world’s largest cricket stadium, named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Qatar has experience hosting major international competitions, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and its Olympic plan could involve venues beyond Doha in neighbouring Gulf countries. A Qatar-hosted Games would likely require moving the Summer Olympics away from their traditional July-August period. Coventry said athletes must remain central to the Games. The timeline represents a return to the IOC’s previous approach to selecting Summer Games hosts and is later than expected after Coventry’s election. In June 2025, she paused the faster, less public process that had led to Brisbane being selected for 2032 without a contested vote and 11 years in advance.
Entities: International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, India, Qatar, South Africa • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
06-10-2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says seven countries have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics: Qatar, Turkey, Germany, India, Hungary, South Africa and South Korea. They are at an early stage of discussions with the IOC, with a shortlist expected in March 2027. Preferred hosts are expected to be identified after discussions in 2028, and the final decision is anticipated in mid-2029.
Qatar hopes its experience hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup will strengthen its bid to become the first Muslim-majority country to host the Olympics. Turkey has made five previous attempts to host the Games. South Africa would be the first African Olympic host and can point to its staging of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. India is also seeking its first Olympics, having hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Hungary most recently bid for the 2024 Olympics, while Germany is pursuing a second Games after Munich hosted in 1972. South Korea is presented as a strong candidate, citing the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted with Japan.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said athlete experience must remain central to planning for future Games. The article also notes changes to the bidding process introduced under Coventry, including a strategic dialogue stage and the possibility of naming multiple preferred hosts rather than putting forward only one candidate. Los Angeles is scheduled to host the 2028 Olympics and Brisbane the 2032 Games. The IOC argues that hosting can bring economic benefits, citing an estimate that Paris 2024 will make a net contribution of €9 billion to €11 billion to the French economy by 2034.
Entities: International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, Qatar, Turkey, Germany • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
