A TOP contender to be president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games is a “strong case”, but cautioned that competition will be tough.
India has already submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’ to host the 2036 Olympics and Paralympic Games to the IOC’s Future Host Commission, taking the first concrete step in an ambitious plan after months of informal dialogue with the global sport’s apex body.
In an interview, Sebastian Coe said, “Well, you won’t be surprised – given my background – to say that I’m obviously very happy that India is committed to global sport and particularly the Olympic movement. I’m very happy to hear that.”
Coe, whose maternal grandfather is an Indian from Punjab, is considered the frontrunner among the seven candidates contesting for elections to succeed Thomas Bach as IOC president.
With Poland, Indonesia, South Africa, Qatar, Hungary, Turkey, Mexico and Egypt among other countries who have expressed a desire to host the 2036 Olympics, Coe said, “Look, it will be very competitive. It (India) won’t be the only bidder, but the case that it can make is a very strong case.” The 2036 Games host nation will not be known before 2026. But the host will be chosen during the term of the IOC president, when the result is declared on March 20.
Coe, 68, a double Olympic 1,500 metres gold medallist, advised India to not end its ambition to host the Olympics if the country did not succeed in winning the 2036 Games hosting rights.
“Plenty of cities have bid and lost and come back. Interestingly, when London won in 2005 (for the 2012 edition), it defeated Paris. We all have just been to the Paris Olympic Games (in 2024),” said the Briton, who currently leads World Athletics. “Rio was one of the cities that didn’t make it past the initial evaluation for the 2012 bid. And they had the Games immediately after Britain in 2016.
“So, it is by no means the end of the story. And even the legacy from bidding is an extremely strong legacy.”
More than 100 members of the IOC will vote on March 20 in the Greek resort of Costa Navarino, where the 144th IOC session will be held from March 18 to 21.
Besides Coe, the other six candidates are Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, David Lappartient of France, Johan Eliasch of Sweden, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr of Spain, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe and Morinari Watanabe of Japan.
Coe said south Asia has the potential to help grow the Olympic movement further by bringing more young people to sport. “I have witnessed in the last few years the growing importance of south Asia in athletics, and athletics is the centrepiece of Olympic movement.
“If 10 years ago, you and I said to each other that the men’s Olympic javelin title would be being fought between athletes from Pakistan and India, I think we both would have smiled at each other and moved on,” he said. Coe referred to Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan) and Neeraj Chopra (India) winning gold and silver, respectively, at the Paris Games.
“But it happened (in Paris Olympics), so there is a huge potential in Asia. What is really important here is we recognise that Asia and, particularly, south Asia has the real potential to help grow the movement and bring more young people into sport and into healthy lifestyles.”
Coe, however, stressed that a onesize-fits-all approach will not work in all the Asian countries.
He also revealed he had a discussion with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, and they both agreed about importance of sport for health .
Athira Sunil (England women's capt), councillor Bhupinder Gakhal,, Hardeep Singh (England men's capt) at official England kit launch.
England secured a 101-25 victory over Hungary in Group A.
Chandhok’s book delves into the intricacies of Formula One, offering behind-the-scenes insights and highlighting the journey of top drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher. (Photo: X/@karunchandhok)
A new chapter: Karun Chandhok’s book brings F1 to young fans
KARUN CHANDHOK has spent decades immersed in motorsport – as a driver, commentator, and now an author.
His new book, Drive to Victory: Incredible True Stories from the Fastest Sport in the World, was released on February 13, and is aimed at young enthusiasts aged nine and above.
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Chandhok – one of only two Indian drivers to have competed in Formula One – spoke about his new book, the upcoming season and India’s relationship with the sport.
“There’s been a wave of interest in Formula One, including in India, since the Netflix show (Drive to Survive), and a lot of fans have come into the sport in the last four or five years,” Chandhok (41) said.
“For them, F1 started with Lando Norris or Max Verstappen.”
The idea to write a book about Formula One started unexpectedly – with a tweet.
“I put something out about tyres, and someone replied, ‘This is way too complicated. There’s no way kids would understand this.’ I replied, ‘Well, actually, my son is five, and he understands it,’” Chandhok recalled.
And that exchange sparked a realisation: while his children had the advantage of growing up with a father who worked in the sport, many young fans did not.
“It made me think – there are a lot of kids out there who love the sport but don’t have someone to explain it to them.
“Formula One is a wonderful sport with a rich history, but it’s also a complex one, probably the most complicated sport.”
Though the book is primarily aimed at children between the ages of nine and 15, Chandhok believes it could appeal to newcomers of all ages.
“I’m sure there’ll be stories in there even adults don’t know.”
Chandhok’s book delves into the intricacies of Formula One, offering behind-the-scenes insights and highlighting the journey of drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, George Russell, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Jenson Button.
Chandhok said his goal was to simplify the complexities of the sport, making it accessible without diluting its essence. Most important, he wanted to fill a gap.
Chandhok’s journey into the sport was unconventional.
“I came from a country where there was no go-karting at the time. I never did a go-kart race in my life. There was no history in the sport (in India) – it was like someone from Peru or Mexico saying they wanted to play in the Cricket World Cup,” he said.
One of the stories in his book is about Brawn GP, the team that emerged from the remnants of Honda and won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in 2009.
“They arrived in F1 for one season and became world champions. It had never happened before, and it will never happen again,” Chandhok said. He is aware of the significance of being one of just two Indian drivers to have reached F1.
“We are a country of 1.3 billion people, and there have been only two Formula One drivers. It’s a pretty exclusive club – Narain (Karthikeyan) and I should get ourselves gold card memberships,” he said, with a laugh.
India’s relationship with Formula One has been one of ups and downs. The early 2010s saw unprecedented excitement – two Indian drivers on the grid, an Indian Grand Prix, and the emergence of Force India as a competitive team.
Chandhok said, “In 2011, the Times of India had seven pages of coverage on F1, and the Hindu had six pages. That was crazy. Just three or four years before that, I was begging editors to write a single article about us.”
But after the Indian Grand Prix was discontinued and Force India disappeared from the grid, the momentum faded.
“The IPL (Indian Premier League) has taken cricket to a level that is stratospheric. But ultimately, it comes down to heroes. When Saina Nehwal or Sania Mirza were doing well, the country got excited.
“That’s what we’re missing right now – the next generation of drivers,” Chandhok said.
There have been some promising Indian names in Jehan Daruvala, Kush Maini, Arjun Maini, but none has yet broken through to Formula One.
Chandhok offered an insight into what sets apart the great drivers: “The world champions deliver every single weekend. I call them A+ stars. If you look at a 24-race season, they will deliver all 24 times. The A stars will deliver 20 times, but have a few off weekends. The B+ drivers will deliver, maybe 16 or 17 times. That’s the difference – consistency.”
Formula One, Chandhok said, is in a strong position with a new generation of talent.
“We have six rookies coming in this year, and they’re all strong competitors. At the same time, you’ve got Alonso (Fernando), Hamilton (Lewis), Verstappen – world champions who are still performing at the highest level.”
And his predictions for the 2025 season?
He said, “Max didn’t dominate last year. The first six weekends, yes, but after that, it was a real struggle for him to win. The last two-thirds of the season were fantastic, because we arrived at the track not knowing who would be on pole or who would win. That’s what we want as neutral fans, and I expect more of the same this year.”
Three key storylines stand out to him: “Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari – everyone is excited to see how that plays out. Can Lando Norris win his first championship? He was incredibly strong last year. And can Red Bull recover? They started strong but dropped off later in the season.”
For young drivers hoping to make it in motorsport, Chandhok has one important piece of advice: “Knowledge is key. If you want to be in the sport – whether as a driver, engineer, or mechanic – you need to educate yourself. Understand how it works.
“Keep your feet on the ground. Just because you win one race doesn’t mean you’re going to be world champion.”
Whether through commentary, writing, or mentoring young talent, Chandhok remains deeply involved in motorsport. As Formula One continues to grow globally, he said his hope is the book will inspire a new generation of fans, especially in India, to engage with the sport in a way that has never been done before.