OCA backs India’s Asiad bid, says inspection team to soon visit Ahmedabad

NEW DELHI: India’s long-term sporting ambitions has received another boost after the Olympic Council of Asia formally acknowledged the country’s bid to host the 2038 Asian Games. The governing body stated that an ‘Inspection and Evaluation Committee’ will soon visit India to assess its readiness, logistical planning and financial commitments and understand its legacy plan. The OCA also confirmed that India has projected Gujarat’s capital city of Ahmedabad as the host city, underscoring the govt’s vision of transforming the state into a global sporting hub. The continental body’s Executive Board (EB) has welcomed the ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) submitted by the Indian Olympic Association. “The OCA president, Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, and members of the EB commended India’s ambitious vision to host the continent’s premier sporting event, expressing their appreciation for Ahmedabad’s bid to stage this Asian sporting celebration that brings together the continent’s finest athletes,” the OCA said in a statement from China’s Sanya. “In line with the OCA’s established procedures for hosting bids, the EB has decided to form an Inspection and Evaluation Committee comprising a select group of leading international and Asian experts. The committee will visit Ahmedabad to conduct an on-site review of the city’s sports venues and facilities, operational and logistical plans, infrastructure readiness, and allocated budget. The committee will prepare a detailed technical report to be submitted to the OCA EB, to be discussed in accordance with the established timeline at the next EB meeting, scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan, in Sept 2026, coinciding with Japan’s hosting of the 20th Asian Games,” the statement added.On April 21, India officially submitted its EOI to host the 2038 Asiad during the OCA’s EB meeting in Sanya, where the Asian Beach Games began the following day. Ahmedabad is already set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is also a frontrunner in India’s proposed bid for the 2036 Olympics. Riyadh will host the 2030 Asian Games, followed by Doha in 2034.