Asian nations in strong race to host 2036 Olympics

India, Indonesia among likely contenders, while oil-rich countries poised for intense push

Now that the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are over, the world's attention has swiftly shifted to potential bidders for the 2036 Games.

With Los Angeles set to host the Summer Olympics in 2028, and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032, the quadrennial sporting extravaganza is likely to return to Asia in 12 years.

Although in the early stages, the competition is expected to be intense. Two populous nations, India and Indonesia, are almost certain to throw their hats into the ring, along with South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, after the International Olympic Committee officially opens the bid.

Egypt and South Africa have also shown interest, and if either of those succeeds, it would be the first time the Games are held on the African continent.

While the eagerness to host the Games indicates the rising Olympic awareness and growing sporting ethos in these countries, it also gives the winning bidder a chance to boost its economy and international standing, experts said.

"Many in the IOC think it's time for an Asian country to step up to host the Olympics (again) as the Olympics is supposed to represent the world," said James Chin, a professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia.

Asian cities that have hosted the Summer Games include Beijing in 2008, Seoul in 1988, and Tokyo in 1964 and again in 2021, after it was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia and India are seen as potentially strong hosts by the IOC due to their large populations and growing economic clout.

The process to select the host city is complex, with multiple rounds, Chin said, so it is hard to predict the result at this early stage. But the consensus leans toward an Asian city being chosen to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, he added.