Opinion | Hong Kong should seek Olympic gold with a bid for 2036 Summer Games
With strong backing from the mainland, the city has a good chance to host the event and boost its global profile in the process
The Summer Olympics have been held 20 times since resuming after the Second World War. The locations of the next two games, in 2028 and 2032, have already been determined. Hosting the Olympics is a fair reflection of a city’s financial acumen and interest in sports.
Of the 22 held or scheduled Summer Olympics, Europe – including Russia – has hosted them nine times. By 2028, North America is likely to have hosted five of them. In Oceania, Australia is slated to host three by 2032. Meanwhile, Asia has hosted the Summer Games four times and South America only once. Notable for their absence are South Asia and all of Africa, arguably due to resource constraints.
Contenders for the 2036 games include Ahmedabad in India; Santiago, Chile; Istanbul, Turkey; Nusantara, Indonesia and North Jeolla province in South Korea. Bids may also come in from Doha, Qatar, and Egypt’s new administrative capital.
All of these places have their strengths and weaknesses, including financial capacity, climate suitability and organisational ability. An established track record should also be an important factor.
Taking into account population size, interest in sports, including medals won in past Olympics and organisational capability, the 2036 Summer Olympics should be held in Asia. In this regard, China has a very strong claim.