India Expands Mega-Event Push As IOA Expresses Interest In Hosting 2038 Asian Games

Last Updated:April 24, 2026, 12:10 IST

A report claims that India has written to the Olympic Council of Asia with regards to interest in hosting the Asian Games in 2038.

After securing the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and submitting a bid for the 2036 Olympics, India has now reportedly expressed interest in hosting the 2038 Asian Games.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has written to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) expressing its intent to host the Asiad. The proposal was also discussed during the OCA’s governing body meeting in China on Thursday.

The report further stated that an OCA delegation will visit India to evaluate the bid.

“We are interested in bringing the Asian Games to India. We are in touch with the OCA and have written to them expressing our interest. We will be in dialogue with the OCA," IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer was quoted as saying by the publication.

The venues for the next three editions of the Asian Games have already been confirmed. The 2026 Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya (Japan), followed by Doha in 2030 and Riyadh in 2034.

India last hosted the Asian Games in 1982 and also hosted the inaugural edition of the continental event in 1951 – both in New Delhi. This time, Ahmedabad has been proposed as the host city, given its planned sporting infrastructure, including venues being developed for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and a potential 2036 Olympics.

“Ahmedabad will already have a lot of venues ready in the next three to four years. These venues are being built to foster a sporting culture. If India wins the bid to host the 2036 Olympics, the Asian Games will be the perfect legacy event as most of the venues can be reused for that," an unnamed official was quoted as saying by the publication.

“And, by any chance, if India does not get the 2036 Olympics, hosting the 2038 Asiad would mean that the infrastructure would be put to good use, and at the same time, the country can gain enough hosting experience to aim for future Olympic," the official added.

The most recent Asian Games, held in 2023, marked India’s best-ever performance at the event, with the contingent winning 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze, finishing fourth in the overall medal standings.

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