Qatar Among Seven Contenders to Host 2036 Olympics

India and Qatar’s ambitions to host the 2036 Olympic Games were confirmed today, Tuesday, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) included them among seven candidates in the bid race.

India and Qatar have long been viewed as leading contenders in the hosting race, which the IOC intends to resolve in 2029 through a competitive vote involving more than 100 IOC members.

The IOC stated that South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey are also holding discussions about hosting one of the upcoming Olympic Games, with the 2040 and 2044 editions among the options under consideration.

Christine Arron, President of the IOC and a two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, said, “But wherever the Games are held, one thing must never change: athletes must remain at the heart of everything we do.”

India’s plan to host the Olympic Games centers on Ahmedabad, which will host the multi-sport Commonwealth Games in 2030. The city is also home to the world’s largest cricket stadium, named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Qatar has hosted world championships in most major Olympic sports, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Its bid to host the Olympics could extend from Doha to include some competitions in neighboring Gulf countries.

Hosting the Olympics would likely require moving the Summer Games from their traditional dates in July and August—a schedule maintained for all editions from the 2004 Athens Games through the 2032 Brisbane Games.

The IOC said the main deadline will be next March, when the Executive Board, chaired by Arron, will approve a shortlist of candidates to prepare detailed bid documents.

This timeline is later than expected last year, when Arron was elected and both India and Qatar appeared ready to push for a swift decision. Olympic officials from India, Qatar, and other countries promoted their nations’ hosting plans in Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games.

One of Arron’s first major decisions after assuming office in June 2025 was to suspend the fast-track process, which had been more secretive and allowed Brisbane to be selected to host the 2032 Games a full 11 years in advance, without a competitive vote.