India to bid for 2020 Olympics

2007 has been smiling on India and its sports men and women. Surprise wins in cricket, and above average performances in tennis, hockey, and golf prove that India is finally coming into its own in the field of sports. Delhi is currently gearing up to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games and preparations are going well. So well, in fact, that India has decided to bid for the mother of all sporting events: the 2020 Olympics - and with the UK pledging support, it might just happen.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, currently in India on a week-long promotional visit to strengthen relationships between London and India, was accompanied by Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee, when he met with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee in Delhi to share expertise in hosting two of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.

Both cities share a mutual aim to ensure that their respective Games deliver lasting physical, social and cultural change and a legacy that benefits sport, the environment and the local and global community.They are also keen to maximize the investment opportunities which hosting the Games will bring to the two cities.

“London is the most multicultural city in the world and the Indian community is already the capital’s largest minority ethnic community. India is the world’s most diverse country. We want to deliver an Olympic Games that showcases London to the world and will deliver a true legacy that will benefit all of London’s communities", Mr Livingstone said.

Double Olympic gold medal winner, Sebastian Coe said staging the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games would provide the opportunity to establish a new era in sporting, cultural and trade relations and cooperation between London and Delhi.

In addition to economic benefits, it is also apparent that staging major international sporting events can provide the basis for important social improvements. These can range from reduction in youth crime, promoting education, and cultural awareness to greater skills development through volunteer programmes and training.

Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of Organising Committee Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010, took the opporutnity of Mr Livingstone's visit and announced India's decision to bid for the 2020 Olympics once the Commonwealth Games are over. In a conference Mr Livingstone is reported to have expressed his support for India's bid.

If Delhi manages to win the bid, it would have a wide range of important social, economic, environmental and community benefits for India. Not only will it put the subcontinent and its capital firmly‘on the international map’, but it will also attract international or domestic investment, build up tourism (including business and conference tourism),provide opportunities for local contractors or suppliers, create temporary and permanent jobs for India's working population, accelerate urban renewal, including housing, commercial, rail, roads and transport infrastructure and will build a legacy of sports infrastructure.

Suresh Kalmadi said: "The world is viewing India today not just as a land of economic opportunities but a magical place where the impossible is made possible. The new India is now standing at the threshold of dynamic changes that promise to redefine the very fabric of the nation. Seen in this light, the holding of a global sportsspectacle is a moment of great pride for us and to the country, arecognition that we can now stand up and be counted as a nation. This also gives definition to the new Indian who is today confident and energetic."

Optimism aside, India has still quite a few hurdles to jump if it wants to beat its tough competitors.

"Just like favourite New York lost to London for the 2012 Olympics, India should not be complacent as Paris is going to give them a tough fight," Mr Livingstone is reported to have said at aconference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Thanks, Ken! Coming up with a better logo for the Olympics than London shouldn't be too much of challenge, n'est-ce pas?