During his two-day tour in India as the chief guest for the country's 75th Republic Day celebrations, France President Emmanuel Macron pledged full support for India to host an Olympic Games in the future. The assurance was made during a banquet hosted by the Indian President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Macron was present at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 25 and 26.
During his address at the beginning of the banquet hosted by President Murmu, Macron expressed his eagerness to strengthen cooperation on sports with India. He stated as quoted by ANI, "We will be delighted to build a stronger cooperation on sports with you. We will definitely support your intention to organise the Olympic Games in India for the future..."
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Macron's state visit to India marks France's sixth participation, the highest among all nations, as the chief guest on India's Republic Day. Additionally, France is set to host the 2024 Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8 in Paris.
During the inauguration of the Khelo India Games on January 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government is actively working towards hosting the 2036 Olympic Games. The PM emphasised the government's decade-long efforts to provide international exposure to athletes and create a conducive ecosystem for their growth and success.
Recently, President Emmanuel Macron called on French athletes to aim for a top-five finish at the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, considering this target as more achievable than ever. Speaking at France's national Olympic training centre in eastern Paris, Macron expressed confidence in the organisers and athletes, urging them to deliver an incredible moment of French pride and celebration during the event.
“People thought it was impossible but we’ve delivered it. Our Olympic top five target is more achievable than ever according to the latest forecasts, which show that France could have its best Games since 1900. I don’t want to put too much pressure, but it’s sound, healthy pressure,” he said.