ECB backs India's 2036 Olympic bid, cites 2030 Ahmedabad Games as rehearsal

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould declared the ECB’s unequivocal backing for India’s prospective bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, framing it as a natural extension of cricket’s expanding global reach. He praised the sport’s re-entry at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and lauded ICC chairman Jay Shah’s role in that achievement. Gould pointed to the 2030 Commonwealth Games slated for Ahmedabad as an ideal rehearsal to test infrastructure and organisational capacity ahead of an Olympic campaign.

He also discussed the growing momentum of mixed disability cricket, a format conceived by Ian Martin, which could appear at future Commonwealth, Asian and Paralympic Games. The IOC’s revised selection process will culminate in a vote at its session in mid-2029, giving India roughly three years to solidify its case. Success would hinge on translating the Ahmedabad experience into demonstrable capability rather than mere political intent.