New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) With their sights firmly focused on the 2036 Summer Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Thursday said it will be putting into motion Mission 2036, which also aims at transforming India into a sporting powerhouse by the time the Olympic Games come to the country.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) leadership, spearheaded by President P. T. Usha announced the launch of Mission 2036 at a press meet here on Thursday.

“We are focused on our long-term goal of transforming India into a sporting powerhouse. It’s part of the resolve to power through India’s sporting aspirations via Mission 2036. We also aim to bring the Olympics to India in 2036,” said Usha here on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, in October 2023, during the IOC Annual Session in Mumbai, officially expressed India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games with Ahmedabad as the venue.

Usha and her colleagues in the IOA executive committee had recently participated in a continuous dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of the bidding process for the 2036 Olympics. India will be fighting it out with

“Our commitment is to global excellence in sport, and we have taken it as our mission to fulfil that dream. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has said, youth and sports are the engine of India’s future, and empowered athletes reflect an empowered Nation. This powerful message is the backbone of our mission to realise this dream. We will work together to build up a strong and sustainable foundation for sporting excellence,” said Usha, the legendary sprinter who still holds the best medal haul by an Indian in individual events in the asian Games, which she set by winning four gold and one silver in the 1986 edition in Seoul, South Korea.

Usha said as per the Mission 2026 plan, the IOA is also committed to bringing in inclusivity and gender parity in Indian sport.

“We are equally committed to making sports an inclusive space for women, for young athletes, for those from tribal areas, and every Indian who dreams of excelling in sports,” said Usha.

Meanwhile, IOA joint-secretary Kalyan Choubay said it’s the IOA’s vision to do whatever is required for athlete development.

“It is the vision of IOA that India should be the best in sports, and we will do whatever is required for athlete development, which comes with good governance, better infrastructure, and well-educated athletes in terms of anti-doping requirements.

“The vision of IOA is to ensure that India becomes a force in sports, and we will do whatever it takes to achieve that. This will happen with athlete development, it will come with good governance that comes with better infrastructure facilities. It also comes by educating athletes in terms of anti-doping measures, by providing NADA (National Anti-Doping Authority) with more equipment to hold more sessions to ensure more sports conclaves, to ensure better coordination from all stakeholders, including the state and central governments, to ensure better coordination with National Sports Federations,” said Choubey.

–IANS

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