NEW DELHI: India’s new Olympics chief Narinder Batra has vowed to make bids to stage the 2032 Olympics, 2030 Asian Games or 2026 Commonwealth Games, saying the country must “think big.”
Batra, who is also the International Hockey Federation (FIH) president, said after winning the Indian Olympic Association vote late Thursday that an approach would be made to the Indian government for financial backing.
“Once I settle down, the IOA will take a proposal to the government to host the 2032 Olympics, 2030 Asiad and 2026 CWG. We should think big but hosting these Games depends on the government as they will sanction the funds,” he said.
“I have always dreamed big and this is my personal view that India should host these big events.”
When New Delhi staged the 2010 Commonwealth Games, they were marked by construction delays, failing infrastructure and accusations of financial mismanagement.
But India is now one of the world’s fastest growing major economies, and international sporting chiefs say it must be a contender to hold major events.
India’s sporting relations with arch-rival neighbor Pakistan could prove a sticking point, however.
Batra said he opposed any bilateral contests against Pakistan. The two dispute Kashmir territory, while India accuses Pakistan of supporting “terrorism.”
“As far as multilateral events organized by the international federations are concerned, we have to play Pakistan. But I think it is not possible to play them in bilateral events unless relations between the two countries are improved.
“Moreover their behavior at the border will have to improve. Everybody in India is an Indian first.”
As India’s hockey chief, Batra suspended matches against Pakistan after a 2014 Champions Trophy semifinal which Pakistan won. India accused the Pakistani players of making obscene gestures to the Indian crowd.
Batra overwhelmingly won the contest for the IOA presidency, but a Delhi court is still to review the vote.
New Indian boss mulls bid for 2032 Olympics
New Indian boss mulls bid for 2032 Olympics
Al-Hilal widen gap on Al-Nassr ahead of Capital Derby
- Al-Hilal defeat Al-Hazem 3-0 in the opening match of Matchday 14
- Al-Nassr succumb to a 2-1 home defeat against Al-Qadsiah to fall four points behind the league leaders
RIYADH: Just a few weeks ago, Al-Nassr were cruising at the top of the Saudi Pro League. Ten consecutive victories had put Jorge Jesus’ side firmly in control, with momentum building toward the Capital Derby against Al-Hilal on January 12.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the picture has shifted dramatically. Al-Nassr now trail Al-Hilal in the standings, with even a derby victory next week no longer enough to reclaim top spot.
Al-Hilal hosted Al-Hazem in the opening fixture of Matchday 14 at Kingdom Arena, knowing that victory would guarantee a cushion ahead of their Riyadh rivals going into Monday’s showdown.
Simone Inzaghi’s side, after an uneven start to the season that saw them drop points to Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah, have since surged into form. A nine-game winning streak had already put pressure on Al-Nassr, whose own run ended weeks earlier when Georginio Wijnaldum’s brace for Al-Ettifaq halted their perfect start.
Against Al-Hazem, Al-Hilal played with control rather than with urgency. Salem Al-Dawsari returned to the starting XI, but with a congested fixture list, Inzaghi carefully managed his squad.
Al-Hazem offered moments of resistance, but were no match for the Blues on the night. Rúben Neves delivered a sublime long ball from deep to Sergej Milinković-Savić, who headed home the opener in the 29th minute.
Neves then launched the fans off their seats in the 56th minute, unleashing a thunderous strike from outside the box that crashed off the bar and in to double the lead.
Darwin Núñez would seal the win for the league leaders, tapping home Kaio Cesar’s low cross in the 90th minute to secure Al-Hilal’s tenth consecutive victory.
Less than 20 kilometres away at Al-Awwal Park, Al-Nassr welcomed Al-Qadsiah in the weekend’s headliner — a stern test for Brendan Rodgers in his early weeks with the Eastern Province side.
Unlike previous meetings, the first half was relatively subdued. Al-Nassr dropped their usual high press, wary of Julián Quiñones’s threat in behind, and focused on containment. Their attempts to halt the Mexican forward ultimately came undone in the second half.
With goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi pushed high to receive the ball, his clearance fell straight to Quiñones, who scored into an empty net in the 51st minute.
Fifteen minutes later, Quiñones was involved again. Pressuring Aiman Yahya into a turnover, he squared the ball for Mateo Retegui, whose initial effort was saved before Nahitan Nández converted the rebound.
Al-Nassr were handed a lifeline in the 79th minute when a handball inside the Al-Qadsiah box resulted in a penalty, calmly dispatched by Cristiano Ronaldo for his 14th league goal of the season.
Despite a late push, Al-Nassr could not find an equaliser. Ahmed Al-Kassar stood firm in goal as Al-Qadsiah resisted sustained pressure to secure a valuable 2-1 victory.
In the day’s third fixture, Al-Ettifaq nearly let a commanding 4-0 lead slip against last-placed Al-Najma, conceding three goals in the final 20 minutes of the game before holding on for a dramatic 4-3 wn.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Friday, with Al-Khaleej hosting Damac at 4:10pm, Al-Taawoun facing Al-Shabab at 6:05pm, and Al-Ittihad travelling to Al-Kholood for the evening kick-off at 8:30pm.
