Should India make a bid for the Olympics?

Going once…going twice…Gone! To India

What’s your initial reaction to imagining that India has made a winning bid for the Olympic games? Is it one of elation and pride? Or does your stomach drop in dismay at the prospect of the hole in our wallet such a bid would make? Does memory jog back to the time when the games were a means to please Gods? In a country as religious as India, that should be an appealing theme. The origin of the Olympic games dates back to over 3000 years ago. In those days, sports were more than a platform for physical competition. The Greeks used the Games to honour their God, Zeus. Such was the extent of the inter-dependence of sport and religion that there was no religious festival in Greece without a sports meet.

Or does memory jog back to the CWG? Does the bidding process happen as pictured above? It would be something if so. Imagine the sacks of money being thrown towards the podium to sway the hammer. If hosting the games is something for which people may be prepared to shell out obscene amounts of money, shouldn’t it be a no-brainer whether it ought to be done or not?

Here’s an answer to all that and more.

While the Olympics have been around for centuries, the revival of the modern Olympics, can be attributed to Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s desire to improve the image of his country. Born in Paris, he was ashamed by his country’s defeat in Franco- Prussian war of 1870-71. He believed that the nation had been humiliated because of an “effeminate, non-sporting, excessively intellectual French population”. Sport, he believed, was a perfect vehicle to salvage France’s pre-eminent position in Europe. He was convinced that the sports ethics taught in the English elite private schools alone would lead to Britain’ s success as a world of superpower, leading him to initiate action towards developing the Olympics. He was the founder of the International Olympic Committee.

However, over the years, the Olympic games have taken a whole new dimension with regards to how they influence the lives of not only the participants, but also of the general public at large. Earlier, Olympics tended to focus more on the social and physical aspect of sport. In today’s day and age, sport tells a different story. There is one more important aspect of it which deserves a mention while talking about the goals of the Olympic Games- the economic aspect. With the kind of money spent on the Games by the host nations and the bidding wars that go on for years running up to the Games, it is only fair that this area be given utmost attention. Although sponsorships for such games have been around for ages, watching Spartacus and such would give us an idea of rich men looking to advance their stature through these games. Today there’s a lot more hinging on the Olympics for the host.

How is the host selected? Here’s the simplified 3 step International Bid Process for selecting Sites for Games

- 10 years before a particular Olympic Games, IOC sends a circular to all National Olympic Committees inviting them to present candidate cities.

- Approximately 8.5 years before the Games, a city wishing to bid must officially present it’s candidature to IOC .

- Approximately 7 years before the Games, IOC selects the host city.

That is overly simplified. The countries are visited by representatives of the IOC and their capacity to be the host is judged in detail. All that is a far cry from the auction picture pictured above.

The benefits of hosting the Olympic Games, both short and long term are enormous. The fact that it reaches out to over two third of the world’s population is maybe what makes the Olympic Games the biggest public relations and advertising phenomenon that there is today. No wonder then, that the 2012 Olympics was the most coveted brand after Apple.

Improved infrastructure, better transport facilities, world class stadiums, employment opportunities for millions, beautification of cities, increased tourism, building of better homes, are just some of the benefits accrued from hosting the Games. For the sake of playing devil’s advocate here, the argument that there are better ways to invest the tax payers’ money than hosting an event of that big a scale also holds true. Economic benefits, after all, are not guaranteed and there is a huge risk factor involved. For instance, Montreal had to pay off a debt of $2.7 billion after the 1976 Games. The debt was finally paid off in 2005, 29 years after the event was conducted!

But then again, look at what the Games did for Beijing. Beijing, perhaps, speaks of one of the most astounding transformation stories ever! It was an investment that was vastly overdue. It changed the way people viewed the city, not just the Chinese but people all over the world. Beijing set a benchmark for future cities, one that very few will succeed in surpassing. London, in my opinion, came close. Beijing boasted of extravagance and professionalism. China’s economy has received a major take-off since 2001 when it won the right to host the 2008 Olympics. It has become the largest producer and consumer of steel in the world. Major Chinese cities have undergone a massive change in the run-up to the games.

Hosting of Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the ultimate sporting event, Olympics will help India boost its economy as it aid in the setting up of world-class infrastructure. Hosting international sporting events is a huge opportunity for India not only in terms of the country’s reputation but also for building the physical infrastructure like vast stadia, convention centres, hotels, multi-modal transport system and other civic amenities. It also provides a major boost to fundamental sectors like cement, steel, electricity, aviation, hospitality and tourism.

As is a well known fact in a country like ours, unless one is made to work under immense pressure, nothing is achieved. International competitions such as the Olympic Games provide the much needed pressure to complete jobs like building better transport facilities, increase water supply, beautification of the city, cleaning the environment and so on and so forth. The amount spent by the government in large developmental projects can in no way be termed as wasteful expenditure.

A large influx of athletes, journalists, and event spectators during the games plays a part in boosting the tourism in the country. The whole process then leads to massive jobs creation. The rural areas and small towns have also benefited from the money spent on the games.

Of course Greece comes to mind, so does the CWG scam. Well you can use fire to cook food and use it for arson too. What matters is how you use it. While something as vast as the Olympic games is a lot more complex than the simple analogy mentioned, things are only as complicated as we make them.

What do you think? Should India pull tooth and nail for a winning bid?