India submits Expression of Interest to host Asian Games 2038; in race with South Korea, Mongolia
India has submitted an Expression of Interest to host the 2038 Asian Games through the IOA, with Ahmedabad seen as a strong contender. South Korea and Mongolia are also in the race. The OCA will decide the host around 2028.
India has formally entered the race to host the 2038 Asian Games. The proposal has been submitted by the Indian Olympic Association and was recently taken up for discussion by the Olympic Council of Asia during its executive board meeting in Sanya. The development was confirmed by IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer, who indicated that the process is still in its early stages and further direction from the continental body is awaited.
“We have submitted an EOI and it was discussed by the OCA in its executive board meeting,” he said, adding that further guidance from the continental body is awaited.
Ahmedabad considered as host city
According to a report in PTI, even though the host city has not been officially named, Ahmedabad is widely seen as a frontrunner. The city is already set to stage the 2030 Commonwealth Games, a decision cleared by delegates representing 74 Commonwealth nations and territories at the General Assembly in Glasgow. That event will mark India’s return to hosting a major multi-sport competition for the first time since 2010.
Ahmedabad is also central to India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, pointing to a broader plan of building long-term infrastructure around global events. The government has made its intentions clear in recent months, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that preparations for the Olympic bid are underway.
However, the interest in hosting the 2038 Asian Games is not limited to India. South Korea had earlier expressed intent through a joint proposal from Gwangju and Daegu, while Mongolia has also emerged as a potential contender, though details remain uncertain.
The Olympic Council of Asia is expected to take a final call on the host city around 2028. In the meantime, the upcoming editions of the Games have already been allotted, with Aichi-Nagoya set for 2026, Doha for 2034, and Riyadh for 2030.
India last hosted the Asian Games in 1982 in New Delhi. Since then, the scale of the event has grown significantly, now featuring thousands of athletes from across the continent.