BENGALURU: India on Friday officially submitted its Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 2038 Asian Games, with Ahmedabad once again emerging as the front runner to host the event.
The Indian Olympic Association delegation led by president PT Usha submitted the EOI during the OCA executive board meeting, on the sidelines of the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China. India last hosted the Asiad in New Delhi in 1982. The Capital also hosted the inaugural Asian Games in 1951.
“It is at a very preliminary stage where we sent in the expression of interest that we would like to host the 2038 Asian Games. The OCA has taken it into consideration. They will discuss it and arrive at a decision,” IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer told TOI.
“The next two Asian Games are already allotted with the 2030 and ’34 Games with Doha and Riyadh, we are interested to get the next one in 2038. The ball is in OCA’s court to tell us what the next steps would be,” he said.
India’s bid for the 2038 Asian Games marks a significant step in its sporting ambitions, following the successful hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and various international events. Ahmedabad, which recently built the world’s largest cricket stadium, is expected to be the main hub, with other cities potentially co-hosting events.
The OCA will now evaluate the EOI and outline the formal bidding process. India aims to leverage its growing infrastructure and experience to deliver a memorable Games, building on the legacy of the 1982 edition.
