GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Governance: Sports
Source: TH
Context: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, expressing the nation’s long-standing dream to do so.
- Furthermore, India will also bid to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2029
Rules about Hosting City for the Olympics:
- Bidding: National Olympic Committees select cities within their territories to bid for hosting the Olympic Games, with the Paralympic Games automatically included in the bid.
- The application to host the Games is made by the chief authority of the city, with the support of the national government.
- Selection: The host for future Olympic Games is chosen by the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during their Session. through a majority vote by secret ballot, with each active member having one vote.
- Elimination: In case of no majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, with further rounds if needed.
- Selection Process: Behind-the-scenes negotiations now determine hosts, as seen in Brisbane’s selection for the 2032 Olympics.
- 2036 Host: The 2036 host will be chosen not before 2026 or 2027.
More about Olympics Cities:
- To date, 51 different cities have been chosen to host the modern Olympics, with a majority in Western Europe.
- No cities from Central America, Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, or Southeast Asia have hosted the Olympics.
- Host city decisions are made between seven to eleven years before the Games
- 2024 Summer Olympics: Paris; 2028 Summer Olympics: Los Angeles
Significance of Hosting the Olympics for India:
- Soft Power Showcase: Hosting the Olympics serves as a soft-power tool, as seen in post-World War Europe, post-apartheid South Africa, and Brazil.
- Positive Image: India aims to create a positive image following issues during the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
- Global Ambitions: India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics reflects its global ambitions, aligning with goals like a UN Security Council seat and G-20 Presidency.
- Sporting Confidence: Recent sporting achievements, like the 107 medals at the Asian Games, have boosted India’s confidence, stemming from Abhinav Bindra’s 2008 Olympic gold.
Challenges to Consider:
- Multi-Challenges: Hosting such a mega event involves various challenges, including high infrastructure costs, security, cost overruns, environmental impact, geopolitical tensions, and the ethical conduct of administrators.
- Governance Issues: India’s hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was mired in controversies and Corruption
- High Costs: Costs can be exorbitant, as seen in the cases of Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, with the latter exceeding initial estimates by a large margin.
- Recently, Australia withdrew from hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to mounting expenditure, and Canada also withdrew its bid for the 2030 edition.
About Olympic Games:
| Origin | The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece as part of a religious festival in honour of Zeus, the Greek god of the sky, at Olympia. |
| Modern Olympics Games | The modern Olympic Games were revived in the late 19th century. The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. |
| Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, is credited as the architect of the modern Olympic Games. | |
| International Olympic Committee (IOC) | The International Olympic Committee (IOC) (founded: 1894; HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland) is a non-governmental sports organization responsible for organizing the Olympic Games and governs National Olympic Committees (NOCs). |
| In 2009, the UN General Assembly granted the IOC Permanent Observer status. | |
| The IOC Session is the annual meeting of IOC members where each member has one vote, and its decisions are final. | |
| Pattern of Olympic Games | Since 1948, the Olympics have been held every four years. |
| The responsibility of hosting the Olympic Games is given to a city, not a country, and the choice of the city is determined solely by the IOC. |
Previously in the News,
Insta Links:
Prelims Links:
- Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022:
- It was the first time that the Chess Olympiad was held in India.
- The official mascot was named Thambi’.
- The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
- The trophy for the winning team in the women’s section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards : (UPSC 2022)
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over a period of the last four years
- Arjuna Award: For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson
- Dronacharya Award: To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams
- Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
