Asian nations in strong race to host 2036 Olympics(4)

Other contenders

In South Korea, the mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon, has declared the city's intention to bid for the 2036 Summer Games, according to local media reports. In an Aug 11 Facebook post titled "Again, the Seoul Olympics", Oh expressed confidence in the bid, citing advantages such as his country's "well-established infrastructure and robust public safety measures", reported the Korean Herald.

If South Korea succeeds in its bid, it will be the second time the country has hosted the sporting extravaganza, after the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

According to the Maeil Business, one of South Korea's leading financial newspapers, a nationwide survey of 1,000 people by Embrain and Korea Research last month, showed over 70 percent of the respondents were in favor of Seoul hosting the 2036 Games.

Oil-rich Qatar is also reported to be preparing its bid to host the 2036 Games. Qatar is said to be going all out to win the hosting rights — despite failed bids for the 2016, 2020 and 2032 Summer Olympics.

Its neighbor, Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 Asian Games and 2034 men's FIFA soccer World Cup, is also reportedly looking to bid for the Games.

In Paris, Turkiye's Istanbul also promoted its 2036 Olympic bid, vying to become the first country in the Middle East to host the Games.

"I mostly focus on what the IOC expects, what they dream of, what the world wants to see," Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu told The Associated Press. "Personally, I'm not really interested to know what city is the competitor."