Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, December 5, said he is confident that Ahmedabad will secure the hosting rights
for the 2036 Olympic Games, days after the city was officially awarded the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Sansad Khel Mahotsav in Ahmedabad, Shah told the audience that the city should
prepare for an even larger global stage in the coming years.
“You recently won the bid for the Commonwealth Games. But people of Ahmedabad, be prepared, because the city is also
going to welcome the Olympics in 2036,” Shah said, drawing loud applause from the gathering.
The event was held at the newly constructed Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, which falls under Shah’s
Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
Shah, who began a three-day visit to Gujarat on Friday, said Ahmedabad would host nearly a dozen major national and
international sports competitions before 2036.
The objective, he explained, is to build a steady sporting culture and create world-class infrastructure that can
support mega events such as the Olympics.
He highlighted the scale of sports development underway in the city, noting that the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex was
built at a cost of Rs 800 crore.
He added that other major facilities, including the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Motera, are also
progressing rapidly and will further elevate Ahmedabad’s capabilities.
Appealing to athletes from Gujarat, Shah urged them to ensure that the state becomes the top medal-winning region in the
country by the time the Olympics arrive.
He also expressed confidence about India's position on the global stage, saying, “I am confident that when the Olympics
are held here, India will be among the top five countries in the medal tally.”
Shah credited India’s recent rise in international sports to the central government's increased funding.
He stated that the sports budget had grown significantly, from Rs 800 crore in 2014 to Rs 4,000 crore in 2025, enabling
improved training, facilities and support systems for athletes.
Later in the day, the Union minister inaugurated the Ahmedabad Shopping Festival organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation at Sindhu Bhavan Road, continuing his engagements in the city.