Jay Shah hopes to host 2036 Olympics in Gujarat

International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah on Sunday said that after hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030, India aims to bring the Olympic Games to Gujarat in 2036 and set a target of winning 100 medals. Addressing the ‘Run for Girl Child’ marathon organised by Dr Hedgewar Seva Smruti Seva Samiti in Surat, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had played a key role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Gujarat.

“After Commonwealth 2030, we are aiming to host the Olympics in 2036 here,” he said. Referring to India’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024, where the country won eight medals, Shah said the target for 2036 should be at least 100 medals, with Gujarat contributing 10 of them. He expressed confidence that women athletes would win at least two of those medals.

Shah also praised the Indian men’s cricket team for their success in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Highlighting the growing impact of women’s sports, he said that earlier parents often expressed a desire for their sons to become like Virat Kohli, but now many aspire for their daughters to emulate cricketers such as Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur.