Qatar confirmed among seven in 2036 Olympics race

The International Olympic Committee [IOC] set to shortlist candidates in March 2027 before selecting the host in 2029 by a contested vote of its 100-plus members. Qatar has been confirmed among seven bidders seeking to host the 2036 Olympics, The International Olympic Committee [IOC] announced on Tuesday.“The Interested Parties currently in Continuous Dialogue with the IOC, with a stated interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, are (in alphabetical order): Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, Republic of Korea, South Africa and Türkiye,” the IOC announced on Tuesday. The IOC said the seven interested parties have been invited to present their projects to the Future Host Commission in November.It added that no new interested parties will be considered for the 2036 Games after 31 October 2026. It also published a 30-page document on Tuesday to guide bidders.How the IOC will assess the projectsThe principles of the selection process were approved by the IOC Executive Board and endorsed by the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne in June 2026, as part of the Olympic Movement’s ‘Fit for the Future’ reforms.The IOC will assess the 2036 projects on factors including venue plans, the athlete experience, funding, political and public support, Games delivery and the long-term legacy for host communities.It will also consider each project’s overall vision for the Games and how it aligns with local development plans and the wider goals of the Olympic Movement.The IOC will shortlist candidates in March 2027 before selecting the host in 2029 by a contested vote of its 100-plus members. The members include Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Nita Ambani from India’s richest family.The International Olympic Committee added it was talking with the candidates about also possibly hosting in 2040 and 2044. “I was fortunate to compete at five Olympic Games across four continents. Each had its own character. Each host brought something unique through its people, its culture and the way it chose to stage the Games,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a two-time swimming gold medallist.Qatar has hosted world championships in most top-tier Olympic sports, including 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that an Olympics hosted by Qatar would require the Summer Games to move away from the traditional July-August window used from Athens 2004 through Brisbane 2032. India’s bid plan centers on the city of Ahmedabad, which will host the multi-sport Commonwealth Games in 2030, and has the world’s largest cricket stadium which is named for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.A South Korean bid would be anchored in Seoul, which hosted the 1988 Summer Games, and spread across the country.German Olympic officials last month picked Munich, which previously hosted in 1972.South Africa’s bid shapes to be national and centered on Cape Town, and would be a first African host of the Summer Games since the modern Olympics was created in 1896.Hungary and Türkiye propose Budapest and Istanbul, respectively.