Congress leader Karti Chidambaram on Monday voiced his opposition to India hosting the Olympics, arguing that it would be a “drain” on the country’s resources. Speaking during a Lok Sabha discussion on India’s preparedness for the upcoming Paris Olympics, Chidambaram emphasized the importance of investing in athlete development over pursuing grand international events.“Please do not host the Olympics. Greece and Brazil conducted the Olympics and faced severe hardships after conducting (them). It is a great drain,” said the Sivaganga MP from Tamil Nadu. His remarks come in light of India expressing interest in bidding for the 2036 Olympics, a move he believes is misguided given the country’s current sports infrastructure and priorities.
Highlighting India’s Olympic performance, Chidambaram noted that India has won a total of 35 medals across all Olympic Games, while a smaller country like Croatia has secured 41 medals. He urged the government to broaden sports participation and improve access to sports facilities nationwide.
“Make sports a compulsory subject in board exams and ensure that participation in sports is mandatory. Until and unless sports is compulsory in this educational system, which is so examination-oriented, it is very difficult to broad-base sports,” Chidambaram added. He pointed out that many schools lack playgrounds, and suggested that such schools should not receive recognition to ensure that sports becomes an integral part of education.
The Congress leader further stressed the need to focus on elite athletes, advocating for increased funding for their travel, training, and the hiring of coaches of their choice. “If we do these two things, sports will be broad-based,” he said.
During the discussion, Rakibil Hussain of the Indian National Congress (INC) suggested that the government prioritize carrom as a competitive sport.