India in 'continuous dialogue' phase with IOC on 2036 bid: Sports Ministry

New Delhi: India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics is in the "continuous dialogue" phase with the International Olympic Committee's Future Host Commission, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha on Monday.

In response to a query from Aam Aadmi Party's MP from Sangrur, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Mandaviya said the entire bidding process is being handled by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

"IOA has submitted a letter of intent to IOC. The bid is now in the 'Continuous Dialogue' phase with the Future Host Commission of IOC," the Minister stated in the lower house.

The Minister, however, did not respond to Hayer's specific query of whether India is bidding to host the Olympics across multiple venues. Hayer asked if the proposed plan includes Hockey in Bhubaneswar, Rowing in Bhopal, Canoeing/Kayaking in Pune and Cricket in Mumbai.

"Bidding to host the Olympic Games in India is the responsibility of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and allotment of hosting rights for the Olympics is done by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through a detailed host selection process," Mandaviya stated.

Although a host city has not been proposed by India officially, the Gujarat government has been at the forefront and its Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi was part of an Indian delegation that visited IOC headquarters in Lausanne to discuss the bid last month.

The 'Continuous Dialogue' phase involves a feasibility assessment by the IOC of the interested party's preparedness. However, as of now, the host selection process has been "paused" by new IOC President Kirsty Coventry.

Coventry, an Olympic gold-winning former swimmer who is the first woman and the first African President of the IOC, said the consensus among the members, during her maiden Executive Board meeting in June, was to reassess the process.

Earlier, a decision on India's bid was expected next year. India is also facing competition from the likes of Qatar and Turkey, who are also in the 2036 race.

"There was an overwhelming support from the IOC members for a pause to be done and a review of the future host election process and we will be setting up a working group to look into this," the 41-year-old Coventry had said in July.

Coventry said the executive board members felt that the experience of already decided future hosts -- Los Angles (2028 Summer Games), Brisbane (2032 Summer Games), French Alps (2030 Winter Games) -- need to be studied before proceeding on future proposals.

India's poor record in doping is an issue for the IOC, which has sought corrective measures by the IOA. The IOA has set up a panel to address doping in Indian sports after being rebuked by the IOC.

Mandaviya addresses state of Indian football

Mandaviya also faced a question on the pitiable state of Indian football. While the national men's team has been hurtling from one setback to another, domestic football is also in doldrums after the top-tier Indian Super League was placed on hold due to technical issues.

Congress' Adoor Prakash, who represents the Attingal constituency in Kerala, asked whether the Government "noted the declining situation of Indian football" and that the team has slipped to the lowest FIFA ranking in the last nine years.

He also sought a lowdown on the measures being undertaken to revive the sport.

The minister placed the onus on the All India Football Federation and blamed the poor rankings on the "dynamic" of the process to determine them.

"Rankings of football teams are dynamic and influenced by match results, strength of opposition, and frequency of matches."

"The Sports Authority of India (SAI), an autonomous body under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, regularly engages with the AIFF to review the performance and overall development of the sport and provides its advice accordingly," he stated.

"At present, a total of 500 athletes are being trained in football discipline," he added.