'India will leave no stone unturned' to host Olympics in 2036: PM Modi

"India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the Olympics in India in 2036. This is the age-old dream of 140 crore (1.4 billion) Indians," Modi said.

PM Modi’s comments came at the Opening Ceremony of the International Olympic Committee’s 141st Session in Mumbai. IOC president Thomas Bach was also in attendance at the event along with the who’s who of the IOC.

"We want to realise this dream with your collaboration and support... I am confident that India will get the support of the IOC."

Modi went on to add that India will also bid to host Youth Olympic Games in 2029.

India has never hosted the Olympic Games and it last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Ahead of the IOC session, Bach said the organisation had noted India’s “great interest” in hosting the Games.

There has been talk of India making an official bid to host the Olympics for a while now. It must be noted that the official bidding process hasn’t started yet. The next edition of the Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024, followed by the Los Angeles Games in 2028. The 2032 edition will be hosted by the Australian city of Brisbane.

Earlier this week, Bach had told Indian journalists there are “serious considerations” about the possibility.

Last month, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country was hopeful of organising the 2036 Olympics, while Indonesia and Mexico are also expected to bid to host sport's biggest event.

Modi underscored that sports was not just about winning medals but also about winning hearts.