KOPIE - IOC: India and Qatar among seven countries bidding for 2036 Olympics

India and Qatar are among seven countries interested in hosting the 2036 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday.

An IOC statement said that Germany, Hungary, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey were the other interested parties before an October 31 deadline.

Germany and South Korea are the only two of the seven countries to have hosted Olympic Games in the past.

"We are looking forward to the international competition and are entering the next phase with a great deal of confidence. We have very good arguments to ultimately prevail internationally as well," Munich's Mayor Dominik Krause told dpa.

The IOC said that the seven will make presentations to the IOC's Future Host Commission in November as part of a continuous dialogue which after an IOC feasibility assessment will be followed by a strategic dialogue of candidates with the IOC executive board chaired by president Kirsty Coventry from March 2027 onwards.

A select number of preferred hosts is to be chosen for a targeted dialogue by the IOC in November 2028, with the host to be elected by all IOC members at its session in 2029.

"Wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do," swimming gold medallist Coventry said.

"As an athlete, you spend years working to make your Olympic dream come true. The experience you have when you finally reach the Olympic Games stays with you for the rest of your life.

"That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point."

Qatar was long been considered a strong candidate and has staged world championships in major Olympic sports but the Iran war showed that it could be a risky choice.

Should it be awarded the Games, they would have to take place outside the traditional July/August slot because of the intense heat, like it happened when the country hosted the 2022 football World Cup.

India has also been touted as a future host, but there are concerns around its bid centring on the city of Ahmedabad, ranging from infrastructure and pollution to a weak standing on the Olympic sporting stage.

Germany is bidding with the 1972 hosts Munich who will continue for 2040 or 2044 if not successful for 2036. The 2036 Games are 100 years after those in Berlin held during the Nazi era.

Istanbul has made several unsuccessful attempts for Turkey and aims to impress by hosting next year's European Games. Hungary has also been interested for years with Budapest, but a planned bid in the past collapsed in 2017.

Olympic Games have meanwhile never taken place on the African continent but Senegal's Dakar will host the Youth Olympics later this year. South Africa is planning a joint effort from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

South Korea's bid with the Jeonbuk region is said to be controversial and plans to team up with 1988 hosts Seoul have reportedly drawn concern in the capital. There are also signals that a bid could be dropped if there is no adequate preparation time.

The 2028 Games are in Los Angeles and the 2032 edition in Brisbane.