Mumbai IOC Session Will Help India's Pitch to Host Olympics in Coming Years, Say Neeraj Chopra and Yuvraj Singh

The 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session will be held in Mumbai from October 15 to 17. It will be the second time India will be hosting the prestigious meeting, with New Delhi hosting it first in 1983.

In its essence, the IOC sessions are where various decisions regarding the activities of the global Olympics movement, including adoption or amendment of the Olympic Charter, election of IOC members and office-bearers and election of the host city of Olympics, are made.

At the 139th IOC Session held in Beijing in February 2022, the Indian delegation led by IOC member Nita Ambani made a compelling pitch for Mumbai to host the 2023 IOC session, following which the financial capital of India received overwhelming endorsement for its bid with 99% of the votes.

The session will be a landmark moment for Indian sport and will firmly establish India on the global sporting map, opening up multiple opportunities in organising sporting events, world-class training infrastructure, nurturing talent and enriching the lives of millions of Indian sportspeople. It will also be a significant stepping-stone towards India’s aspirations of hosting the Youth Olympics and the Olympic Games in the future.

In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18,

Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra said: “It is a big deal that IOC would host a session here in India, with so many esteemed personalities, and would come together to discuss about the growth of sports in India as well. I believe that this will help in putting India on the global map, and will bring awareness to our capabilities in the field of sport and what we can achieve as a nation. So, in that sense, I think this session will prove to be extremely helpful for India.”

India made its mark on the global stage recently as the Indian contingent went on a historic campaign during the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou, securing a whopping 107 medals.

“I believe that another good thing that would arise from the same happening would be witnessing our Indian athletes bring in more medals for the country in that case. It is also personally a dream of mine to see the Olympics be hosted here in India itself. It would be a joyous occasion,” said an optimistic Neeraj Chopra.

Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh also pitched for India to be an Olympic host soon.

“I think we have all the means, and I’m sure that with the way our infrastructure (for sports) is growing, we can definitely host the Olympics in the coming years,” Singh told News18 in an interview.

A point of high interest at the Mumbai IOC Session would be an announcement on the inclusion of cricket in the programme for 2028 LA Olympics.

While cricket was part of recent editions of the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and Birmingham in 2022, the sport hasn’t been seen at an Olympic Games since England defeated France in a one-off match in Paris to clinch the Gold medal in 1900.

But a second appearance at the Olympics could be on the cards in the USA in five years’ time, with LA28 officials recommending the inclusion of cricket in a list of sports put forward to the IOC for approval and set to be added for the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad.

“Well, that should have been done a couple of years ago. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened till now. But, it would be great if it did happen. Soon, India will be a big contender to win an Olympic gold in cricket,” concluded Yuvraj Singh.

The 140th IOC Session will be hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai from October 15-17.