Image Source: firstpost.com
Leading French newspapers have highlighted Nita Ambani as a key advocate for India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics.
According to Le Figaro, Nita Ambani stated, “The bid for the 2036 Games in Ahmedabad, the economic capital of Gujarat and the hometown of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ambani family, has not yet been officially submitted. However, the Prime Minister, who secured a third consecutive term in June, has expressed a clear intention for India to compete for the 2036 Games.”
Nita Ambani, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2016 and recently re-elected, is also the chairperson of the Reliance Foundation. Under her leadership, the Foundation supported the creation of the first ‘India House’ at the Olympics. This vibrant pavilion, modeled after the Maharajah’s Palace, is located in the Parc de la Ville, near the Houses of Brazil and Colombia.
Despite being the world’s most populous country with over 1.4 billion people, India has yet to establish itself as an Olympic powerhouse. While India fielded 117 athletes in 16 events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it has won just 10 gold medals across 25 Summer Games, a stark contrast to France’s 220 or China’s 260. The Reliance Foundation, led by Ambani, supports numerous national champions, including Jyoti Yarraji, who made history as the first Indian woman to run the 100-meter hurdles in under 13 seconds. “Her mother is a maid, her father is a security guard,” Ambani said, describing Yarraji as a symbol of the hopeful Indian youth and her inspiring journey as the “Queen of Sprinting.”
