Asian nations in strong race to host 2036 Olympics

Hard work ahead

However, experts in India and Indonesia warned the bidding governments they should not be too hasty in wanting to host the Olympics.

India needs to overhaul the nation's entire sports infrastructure, said Carvalho, the former hockey player.

While the government is spending a substantial amount of money to improve sports infrastructure throughout the country, India should be looking to match the infrastructure of developed countries, he added.

Bose, who covered this year's Games, said there were about 70 Indian Olympic debutants in Paris. Building on this foundation of sporting talent is just as important as hosting the Games, the reporter said.

"What's important is to track their development and coach them as true assets who can win an Olympic medal. Hosting the Olympics can wait," Bose said.

Eko Noer Kristiyanto, a sports law expert at the Center for Research and Development of the National Legal System in Indonesia, said the government should be seriously considering why it wants to host the 2036 Olympics.

He said Indonesia is not like developed countries, which already have advanced infrastructure. "The 2036 Olympics is only 12 years from now," he said. "How can Indonesia prepare adequate infrastructure for that event?"

According to him, the private sector needs to take part in the preparation work if Indonesia wants to host the Games. "The better way is (that) Indonesia joins with another country to host the Olympics," he added.

Permadi, from the Indonesian Badminton Association, said government support was important to prepare properly for the Olympics — not only in terms of infrastructure, but also in the development of high-quality athletes.

Indonesia's "image would be seriously tarnished" if the nation is not well-prepared to host the Olympics, he added.

Leonardus Jegho in Jakarta and Arunava Das in Kolkata contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com.