An expensive symbolism?
At a time when there is growing scepticism about hosting the Olympics, India is not just nurturing this dream, but also acting decisively in this direction. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), established in July last year to look after the management, design and implementation of Olympic-grade infrastructure in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, has formulated a master plan proposal amounting to Rs 6,000 crore for the development of a 350-acre Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Ahmedabad. The enclave will house six new stadiums alongside the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium that has a capacity of over one lakh seats. The state-of-the-art complexes are projected to be completed by 2030, so that India could pitch for the 2036 Olympics. Reports suggest that the plan for the Olympics Village will be finalised only after clarity on the bid has come.
India’s stature in the sporting world has grown immensely. The nation, quite positively, has begun to look beyond just a handful of sports. Notably, the newly independent India had hosted the Asian Games way back in 1951 — a time when the country was struggling to recover from the socio-economic woes inflicted by centuries-long colonisation. It again hosted the Asian Games in 1982, followed by South Asian Games in 1987, 1995 and 2016, and Commonwealth Games in 2010.
However, the Olympics, a movement built on the bedrock of excellence, respect and friendship, is a different ball game altogether. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind — aiming to contribute to world peace. The quadrennial event sees unmatched participation of athletes from over 200 countries. Hosting the Olympics will certainly put India on a higher pedestal on the global stage, affirming its rising stature. Countries, in the past, have hosted the Olympics as a symbolic gesture conveying their resilience. Japan, for instance, hosted the Olympics in 1964 to project itself as a “growing capitalist society”, and in 2013 to showcase its recovery from the Fukushima disaster. One may agree that India, too, has so much to show to the world. At the same time, it is argued that the Olympics is an “expensive symbolism.” The question put forth by many is whether it is viable for India to opt for this symbolic expression. Renowned critic, Miles Wray, had compared the endeavour to host Olympics with “a family shoving themselves into bankruptcy by insisting their dinner party have silk napkins, a private chef, gold-speckled sundaes.” In fact, this spirit resonates across many global cities, which have opted not to host Olympics due to extensive costs — both implicit and explicit. Cities that have hosted Olympics in the near past have ended up spending exponentially higher than their primary estimates — plunging themselves in economic chaos and significant debt.
However, the lofty principle of inculcating a spirit of cooperation and peace through something as positively constructive as sports cannot be undermined, nor can the rich history associated with the Games. However, this symbolism has to come at a rational cost. Though the IOC has made some positive changes, a complete restructuring of the Games events might be needed. India eyes to develop a multipurpose sporting infrastructure that will not lose relevance after the Games are over. The efficacy of this claim will be tested.