The Indian Olympic Association has asked the Union government for permission to bid for the 2032 Olympics and the 2030 Asian Games in a bid to put the country at the centre of the world sporting community. The IOC wants to use the event to be a catalyst for the growth of Olympic sports in the country and help improve the nation’s pathetic standing in every discipline. The word ‘pathetic’ is actually an understatement because India seldom wins more than one or two medals and its best showings were at the London games in 2012 when it won six and three in Beijing in 2008, one of which was a gold. Its total winnings of 28 medals include nine golds, of which eight came from hockey at a time when India dominated the world, followed by seven silver medals and 12 bronze, less than what China wins in one outing.
So, what is the logic behind wanting to host the Olympic Games? Is it just prestige? Because if it is, then prestige is going to come at a very high cost. The Rio games cost taxpayers 11.6 billion dollars, that is, Rs 75,400 crore. The 2012 London Games cost UK 14.9 billion dollars (Rs 96,800 crore). How much would the 2032 games cost India is a guesstimate and even though the IOC has predicted and expenditure of $12 billion, there will be cost overruns and expenditure on upkeep of venues and equipment, post Olympics. There is no economic upside to organizing the Olympics and the rapid construction of venues and support infrastructure could create a huge hole in taxpayers’ pockets. Besides, India is not a sports power house to justify such a large expenditure and there is no guarantee that hosting the Olympics will automatically result in an upsurge in sporting feats. The 2010 Commonwealth Games cost the nation $ 6 billion and we all know how that turned out. It eventually brought down the UPA II government.
India’s sporting problems lie elsewhere and hosting the Olympics will not help it one bit. In fact after finish second to Australia in the 2010 CommonWealth Games, India stood 67th at the Rio Games and no one seemed to be too bothered. With the exception of cricket, practically all sports disciplines are in a mess. The several sports associations that are headed by politicians have produced nothing of merit and if Indians have risen above the average to make a mark on the world stage it is purely because of individual commitment and sacrifice. The huge sum of money that the IOC wants taxpayers to shell out in the name of prestige and the false premise that India will do better in sports after the Olympics is a hoax. India should first set its sporting associations in order, win more medals and then and only then think of hosting the Olympics.
