Qatar and India among seven countries bidding to host the 2036 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that Qatar and India are among seven countries bidding to host the 2036 Olympics.

Four years after hosting the FIFA World Cup, Qatar is again aiming to place itself at the centre of global sport. If successful, the Games would be the first held in the Middle East, likely requiring a move away from the traditional July-August window to avoid the Gulf's extreme summer heat.

India's bid centres on Ahmedabad, which will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and has the world's largest cricket stadium. Former Olympic hosts South Korea and Germany are also in the running, along with Hungary, Turkiye and South Africa. The IOC says it is also talking to all seven countries about possibly hosting in 2040 or 2044.

Additional candidates have until the end of this month to join the contest, with the shortlist to be confirmed in March. The final vote is around two and a half years away, with a winner chosen in 2029.

Al Jazeera's David Stokes reports.

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