The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), on June 8, invited proposals from consultants to assess sports venues and infrastructure to prepare for a potential bid to host the Olympic Games.
Ahmedabad is looking for “technically sound and experienced” consulting engineering firm to help assess sporting and non-sporting infrastructure for hosting international multi-sport events including the Summer Olympic Games, The Indian Express reported citing a newspaper advertisement issued by the city’s development authority.
The project will be jointly executed by AUDA, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Gujarat government.
“With the aim of making Ahmedabad an international sports destination that can host events like Olympics, Asiad (Asian Games) and the Commonwealth Games, the consultants will be asked to identify infrastructural gaps, requirements for international sports events and a way forward,” AUDA Chairman and Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar told the newspaper.
The consultant will have to submit a report within three-and-a-half months.
The process was initiated three months after President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium – the revamped Motera cricket ground.
The Narendra Modi Stadium, considered the world’s largest cricket venue, is part of a larger sports complex currently under development. The complex, named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, was unveiled by dignitaries including Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The enclave on the banks of the Sabarmati River will have world-class facilities for sports such as football, hockey, basketball, kabaddi, boxing and lawn tennis, among others.
Additionally, Shah said that a 17-acre complex will also come up for different sports in Naranpura on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.
“The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, the Narendra Modi Stadium and the sports complex at Naranpura will offer complete facilities within the same city at the same place for any sports played internationally. With all these facilities, Ahmedabad will be in a position to get ready within six months to host any international sports event,” Shah said.
“Combining the sports complex, enclave and stadium in Ahmedabad, India will be ready to host even the Olympics in just six months. Such has been the size of infrastructure we have created. Ahmedabad will now be known as the Sport City of India,” Shah has said.
Paris and Los Angeles are scheduled to host the Summer Olympics in 2024 and 2028, respectively. While some cities have expressed interest to host the 2032 games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has named Australia’s Brisbane as the “preferred candidate” city.
If the 2032 games are held in an Australian city or region, it would possibly open up chances for an Asian city to host the event in 2036.
When it comes to the Asian Games, China's Hangzhou, Japan's Aichi-Nagoya, Qatar's Doha and Saudi Arabia's Riyadh are scheduled to host the event sequentially every four years until 2034.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be hosted by Birmingham, United Kingdom. But there's no clarity on the bidding timeline for the 2026 and 2030 CWGs.
New Delhi hosted the Asian Games in 1982 and the CWG in 2010. Pune hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2008. However, no Indian city has made a formal bid for the Olympics so far.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier indicated that the national capital may bid for the 2048 Olympics. However, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra suggested that Ahmedabad, too, could be considered.