New Delhi, Nov 20: India ponders Olympics bid after Commonwealth success. Indian sports officials on Wednesday (November 19) said the country was considering bidding for the summer Olympics after being chosen to stage the 2010 Commonwealth Games. President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) told reporters in the national capital that the hosting of Commonwealth Games will make New Delhi a well-known sports destination, with all the best facility available. "Yes, because we have hosted the Asian games before twice, we have hosted the Afro-Asian games and now we will also be hosting the Commonwealth Games. We have all the infra-structre and so we are serious competitors for the Olympics," Suresh Kalmadi said. New Delhi beat off a challenge from Hamilton in Canada to win the Commonwealth Games earlier this month. It will be only the second Asian host in the Games' 80-year history. The IOA has formed a committee to look into the feasibility of hosting the Olympics for the first time.


New Delhi hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. Despite a population of more than one billion, India managed just one Olympic medal at Sydney in 2000 -- a bronze by woman weightlifter Karnam Malleswari. The country failed to win any medal in 1992, 1988 and 1984. Their last gold dates back to the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the men's hockey title.


Athens and Beijing will host the next summer Olympics in 2004 and 2008. The 2012 hosts will be decided in 2005.


Bureau Report