Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said that India is ready to host the 2030 Youth Olympics, as well as the 2036 Summer Olympics. Speaking at the NDTV Yuva Conclave, Thakur gave the assurance that the Indian contingent will improve its medal tally at the upcoming Olympic games in Paris, scheduled to be held later this year. After the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the 2028 and 2032 editions will be hosted by Los Angeles and Brisbane, respectively.
"We will increase our medals tally at the Paris Olympics 2024. We are ready to host the 2030 Youth Olympics and the 2036 Summer Olympics in India," Anurag Thakur said at the NDTV Yuva conclave.
PM Narendra Modi had also expressed the country's desire to host the Olympics in 2036 during the IOC session in Mumbai last year.
Meanwhile, veteran table tennis player and reigning CWG champion Sharath Kamal will be India's flag bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games while legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was on Thursday appointed the chef de mission of the country's contingent.
Sharath Kamal expressed his elation at getting selected for the honour.
"It has been an unbelievable three weeks. From not even sure of Olympic berth to playing the way I did in Singapore last week, jumping 54 spots in the rankings to being named India's flag bearer," Kamal had told PTI.
"It is the biggest honour and fairytale stuff considering it is going to be my fifth and last Olympics. Also, not many TT players have got that honour, globally. I just got a call from IOA and I could not believe it." Kamal was India's flag bearer at the closing ceremony of 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where he won three gold medals.
Mary Kom and former hockey skipper Manpreet Singh were India's flag bearers at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Hockey player Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain were India's flag bearers at the Hangzhou Asian Games, last year.
(With PTI Inputs)