The legendary Indian athlete PT Usha revealed India's potential bid for the 2036 Olympics after the contingent's unprecedented performance in the Asian Games 2023. India finished the 19th Asiad with 107 medals, their best-ever performance in the continental performance and now the former star predicts impressive results in the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024.
India clinched 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze to finish fourth in the medal standings in the Hangzhou Games which concluded on Sunday, October 8. Usha, who also heads the Indian Olympic Association, highlighted India's heroics after the closing ceremony and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government provided all the possible support.
"After this record-breaking performance in the Hangzhou Asian Games, if our country's athletes, coaches and national federations work hard, I feel we can win double-digit medals in the Paris Olympics," Usha told PTI. "The government is doing everything possible for the betterment of Indian sports and for the athletes. Our prime minister takes a lot of interest in the country's sports."
Usha also made a bold statement regarding India's potential bid for the Olympics in 2036. She said that India could improve their medal count in Paris from the previous seven in Tokyo in 2020. India has won overall 35 medals in their Olympics history, including 10 golds so far. India has never reached near double-digit medal count in the Olympics but the former track star believes that it will change in the upcoming tournament in Paris.
"We should bid for the 2036 Olympics. I am sure India will win more medals in the Paris Olympics than in Tokyo, and then, with the medals to show, we can host the Olympics. I am an athlete myself and I knew from the beginning that India will win more than 100 medals in Hangzhou. So I was not surprised when we crossed 100 medals. When it (100 medals) happened, I told my colleagues that I knew India will win around 105 medals, and that happened. I am happy that India achieved a record medal haul in the Asian Games during our tenure. Everybody worked hard -- the athletes, coaches, support staff and officials. The government was ready to provide everything," Usha added.
