Delhi 2024
CANDIDATURE FILE constituting an application for hosting the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in 2024
Dates of the Olympic Games
1.1. Ideal dates for the Delhi 2024 Games
Delhi 2020 proposes Saturday, 28 September-Sunday, 13 October
as the 16-day period for the competitions of the Games of the
XXXIII Olympiad, following the Olympic Opening Ceremony on
Friday, 27 September. The Closing Ceremony would take place on
Sunday, 13 October. Subsequently, the Paralympic Games would
take place between Friday, 25 October to Sunday, 2 November.
These dates will offer comparably pleasant meteorological
conditions to the athletes, little chance of precipitation and – due to
an alteration of the summer holiday period – the opportunity for
children and volunteers from all across Delhi and India to participate
in the staging of the world’s premier sports event. These dates
would suit the needs of the International Federations and avoid
conflict with the schedules of other large-scale international sports
events. No other major events are planned in New Delhi, its
metropolitan area or the State of Delhi which could affect the 2024
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Vision and Legacy
1.2 Our Motivation to Host the 2024 Games
India’s aspiration to host the Olympic Games chimes with its role as
a rising responsible power in Asia and beyond. It is known as the
world’s largest democracy, with a population only rivalled by one
other nation. Even at this stage, its creativity, well-educated
workforce and passion for success have made it the eleventh-
largest economy in terms of nominal GDP and the third-largest,
once adjusted for purchasing power parity.
In previous decades, the world has witnessed the power of the
Olympic Games to change things for the better. Whether we think
of the regeneration of the Olympic Movement caused by Los
Angeles 1984, the profound effect Seoul 1988 had on an entire
nation’s desire for freedom or the magic of Sydney 2000 – the
Games of the Olympiad have always been a catalyst for good.
Staging the Olympic Games in India, we acknowledge, is not
entirely without risk – but it will represent an immense reward for a
mature democracy, a strong economy and its willingness to tackle
its challenges head-on. A new generation is ready to infuse the
Olympic Movement with the passion of its dreams and the power of
the ideals first proclaimed by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of
the Olympic Games of the modern era.
The Games we wish to aspire to will be marked by four elements:
technical excellence, encompassing transparency, passion for sport
and a legacy that will surpass anything the Olympic Movement has
witnessed to date. We propose an Olympic Games that will present
the very best of our nation, its hospitality and diverse culture –
whilst always ensuring that we will adhere to best practices in the
organization of such a global event. The 2010 Commonwealth
Games, whilst having been a painful lesson for our country,
provided the impetus for this bid. And as you will see in this
“A new
generation is
ready to infuse
the Olympic
Movement with
the passion of its
dreams”
applicant file, the Delhi 2024 bid will be very different from what
the world saw in Delhi 2010. We will address the legitimate
concerns of IOC members and International Federations, whilst
inviting you to take a look at the facts and the progress we have
already made.
Every step of the way, Delhi 2024 will take the values of the
Olympic Charter into account – be it during its tenure as a
Candidate City, in the building of the Olympic Park, the working
conditions of the men and women contracted to build the Olympic
sites or the delivery of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and the
Paralympic Games. This is not just our pledge, it’s a generation’s
promise to bring honour to these ascendant Games, to emblaze the
hearts of one billion Indians with the fires of hope and share these
Games of old with a new country, a new subcontinent and a new
generation.
In the process, we will enable all citizens of New Delhi and its
surrounding metropolitan region to be actively involved with the
staging of the Olympic Games and to give a new home to the
dreams of millions of young people across the world. We propose to
transform New Delhi into an Olympic Region, where athletes,
officials and members of both Olympic and Paralympic Families
would be able to freely interact, exchange ideas with and share the
in the joy of the Host Community. Ours will be an Olympic Games
marked by the spirit of friendship, respect and intellectual curiosity.
With this community’s support, we are now submitting our
candidacy to become the host of the 2024 Olympic Games. These
Games will contribute to an accelerated development of sport
facilities in New Delhi and beyond. More than anything, the
bidding, transitional and delivery phases of the Games will ignite
the dormant passion of Indians for Olympic sport. They will also
enable the Olympic Movement to put Pierre de Coubertin’s ideals in
action in a hitherto unexplored market of 1.2 billion enthuasiastic
sports spectators.
There will be benefits beyond India as well: The Olympic ideals will
be strengthened across Asia, building on the organizational success
of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the excellent winning
bid presented by Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Olympic
Games. The new and renovated sports facilities will make New
Delhi a new hub for international sports competitions for the future.
1.3 Benefits of hosting and bidding
The Delhi 2024 bid has already caused a re-evaluation within the
Indian sporting establishment. During the bid process, the citizens
of Delhi have already been exposed to the values of the Olympic
Movement – learning about the history that led to the foundation of
the Games of the Modern Era in 1896. The award of the Olympic
Games to New Delhi will ignite the enthusiasm of more than a
billion people for the Olympic Movement. More than that, the 2024
Games will serve as the impetus for the construction of state-of-
the-art sporting venues and the modernization of existing facilities,
all in line with the guiding principle of Delhi 2024: a beneficial
“Every step of the
way, Delhi
2024 will take
the values of the
Olympic Charter
into account”
legacy for future generations of Olympic heroes.
Indian sportsmen and sportswomen would substantially benefit
from these facilities, thus enabling world-class performances at
Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian and Commonwealth
Games. The Delhi 2024 Committee has prepared a detailed Legacy
Plan. There will be no “white elephants”, badly maintained or
underfunded facilities, once the Olympic Games have moved on.
Instead, Delhi 2024 plans on making these Games the starting point
for an Indian quarter century of sport. Hosting the Paralympic
Games will have the added benefit of placing a long-overdue focus
on physically challenged athletes in India. Indians would see
Paralympic athletes in action – it is a near-certainty that this will
change social attitudes in India towards the topic of disability.
Besides the sporting aspects, the award of the Games would result
in tens of thousands of high-quality, well-paid jobs for Indian
personnel. Minimum wage provisions, as well as a legally binding
health and safety charter, and a health insurance for all employees
(including the personnel involved in the construction work) will
make Delhi 2024 a role model for other employers across India –
thus contributing to a social leveling.
1.4. What we will give the Olympic Movement
The Olympic Movement will benefit greatly from awarding the
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad to Delhi. Here’s why:
- We commit ourselves, independent of the result of the
bidding process to establish the Indian Olympic Centre in New
Delhi, at the banks of the Yamuna River, thus channeling existing
resources under one roof – and providing dedicated coaching,
training and medical facilities for our potential Olympians.
- We will live up to the promise to rally and unite a new
generation of young children who will be our future Olympians,
across the world. We will institute a ground-breaking programme
for school partnerships between Delhi schools and the schools of
former Olympic cities. We will establish an Olympic Lottery which
will assist to finance the construction of new sporting facilities,
promote high-level athletes and help in building affordable housing
for low-income, working families in Delhi and beyond. The Lottery
will be launched within 6 months of winning the bid for the 2024
Summer Olympic Games.
- We will set new standards in terms of reconciling the social
fabric and corporate interests. We will involve environmental and
civil society groups in the planning and execution of these Games.In
doing so, we will particularly seek the advice of expert groups like
Transparency International, Greenpeace, the International Labour
Organization and the governments of previous host countries to
ensure that Delhi 2024 will be an Olympic Games carried by the
widest coalition of Indian society.
- We will welcome the world and make Delhi the stage for an
“There will be no
“white elephants”,
badly maintained
or underfunded
facilities”
Olympic Festival and a Year of Cultural Discovery. Our
friends from across the world will see Indian culture and
civilisation at its very best, providing highlights in art, music
and theatre. The Olympic Festival will give a new stage to
upcoming Indian artists to showcase their talent to our
friends from the other 204 countries and territories
participating in the Summer Olympic Games.
- We will organize these Games free from government
influence. All our executive board members possess
business and consulting experience. A Code of Ethics, strict
transparency requirements and a lobbyists register will
further ensure the accountability and overall efficacy of the
Delhi 2024 Committee, both during the bid process and the
preparatory phase for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
We have also involved foreign consultants and experts who
actually know what they’re dealing with in terms of
organizing an Olympic Games.
- We have reached an agreement with the Delhi Government
(to be implemented from 2016 onwards) that aspects of the
Olympic Movement’s values and history will be taught in
primary and secondary schools throughout Delhi.
- We will provide good value for money to first-time visitors,
Indian citizens and our corporate partners alike. We will
keep ticketing affordable, enable a safe experience for fans
from across the world and vigorously provide the corporate
environment needed for the Olympic Family to thrive and
operate effectively.
- Finally, we will return the Olympic Movement to its roots.
Away from grand buildings, favouring compact and state-
of-the-art architecture. We will put the athletes and
enthusiastic sports fans at the heart of our Olympic Games
– emphasizing the sporting excellence, transparent
ticketing and an integrated team for volunteering
1.5. Compact Games for Two Weeks, a Legacy for Generations
The 2024 Olympic Summer Games will be held in the centre of New
Delhi, in a purpose-built Olympic Park. The Olympic Park will be
built in the area between the DND Flyover and Vikas Marg,
encompassing 800 hectares at the banks of the Yamuna River. The
necessary compulsory purchase orders have already been
authorized by the Olympic Games Act, 2015.
� All competition venues will be reachable within a 10 km
radius of each other. The Olympic Park and the City Zone
will be the two areas of Olympic competition during Delhi
2024.
� The Olympic Park will be conveniently connected to the
rest of New Delhi, including the city centre via existing lines
“Concession
pricing will be
regulated to enable
working families to
enjoy the wonder that
will be the Delhi
Games.“
“We will live up to
the promise to rally
and unite a new
generation of young
children who will be
our future
Olympians, across
the world“
of the Delhi Metro
� Another aspect of Delhi 2024 will be a modern state-of-the-
art Olympic Village, which will set the highest standards of
sustainability in the usage of building materials, facilities and on-
time delivery. It is envisaged that the Olympic Village will be
completed by June 2023. It will be able to house 18,500 athletes,
officials and referees.
� Delhi 2024 will also make use of existing venues, such as the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Talkatora Stadium, the Indoor
Stadium and many more – all of these venues were successfully
used during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
� Further, Delhi 2024 will be a people’s Olympics. Live sites
will be set up at 40 venues in Delhi, joined by a further 50
metropolitan areas to form the Olympic Live Sites Network.
Concession pricing will be regulated to enable working families to
enjoy the wonder that will be Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
“All competition
venues will be
reachable within a
10 km radius of
each other“
Artist’s impression of the Olympic Stadium in the New Delhi
Olympic Park
Sport and Venues
2.1. Sport Experience
Delhi possesses a degree of experience when it comes to
hosting international sporting events, representing a good
foundation upon which the planning and smooth execution
of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games can be built.
These include the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 1951
and 1982 Asian Games, the 2010 Hockey World Cup, the
2011 Cricket World Cup, the 2012 South Asian Games, the
2011 Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix and the Delhi Half-
Marathon.
2.2. Venues
NEW DELHI OLYMPIC PARK
The heart of Delhi 2024 will be the New Delhi Olympic Park,
located at the banks of the Yamuna River. The Park will
feature multiple venues, a dedicated medical centre, a lake,
three playgrounds for children and an Olympic Plaza.
Clockwise from left: Aquatic Centre, Delhi Sports Arena and
Yamuna River, which will become home to the Maritime
Complex during the Olympic Games
“The heart of Delhi
2024 will be the
Olympic Park,
located at the
banks of the
Yamuna River”
It will consist of the following venues
� Olympic Stadium: The venue for the Opening and
Closing Ceremonies, the track-and-field events and the Rugby
Sevens competitions (100,000 spectators).
� Aquatics Centre: Hosting the swimming and diving
competitions, the Aquatics Centre will play host to capacity crowds
(40,000 spectators).
� Delhi Sports Arena: The multidiscplinary venue of
the Delhi 2024, to host basketball, volleyball, gymnastics,
weightlifting and badminton (100,000 spectators).
� Equestrian Park: Delhi will host all equestrian
competitions, as well as the modern pentathlon.
� Maritime Complex: This part of the Olympic Park, in
the south of the area, will host all water sports: canoeing, open-
water rafting, sailing and rowing. A dedicated section will also play
host to the beach volleyball tournament.
CITY ZONE
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, one of the key venues during the 2024
Summer Olympic Games in New Delhi. To the right, the Delhi
Velodrome which will be re-used during for Delhi 2024.
Beside the Olympic Park, Delhi 2024 will be based in the City Zone:
� Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium: The principal venue of the 2010
Commonwealth Games and the 1982 Asian Games will play host to
the finishes of the marathon race, the 20km and 10 km races, the
men’s/women’s football tournament (quarterfinals, semifinals and
final) and the lacrosse preliminaries.
� R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex: The complex which hosted the
tennis tournament of the 2010 Commonwealth Games will be
refurbished and extended to host spectators of 30,000 guests.
� Delhi Velodrome: Built for the 2010 Commonwealth Games,
this venue will once again be host to world-class cycling.
“Built for the
2010
Commonwealth
Games, the
Velodrome will
once again be host
to world-class
cycling“
� Delhi Golf Club: The oldest golf course in the country, on
220 acres, will host the Olympic golf tournament.
� City Centre: New Delhi’s historic city centre, built during the
Medieval and Colonial Eras would be the centrepiece of
events like the marathon, the long-distance running and
walking competitions, the triathlon, the cycling time trial
competitions. The world will be witness to beautiful sights,
green spaces and historical monuments, as our athletes will
explore the wonder that is New Delhi. Normal traffic will be
fully suspended in the run-up and the implementation of
these events. The parks outside India Gate will host the
archery competition.
2.3. Non-Competition Venues
Moreover, certain venues will be central to the success of Delhi
2024, even though they are not competition venues for the
purposes of the Summer Olympic Games.
� Olympic Village: The Olympic Village will house 18,500
athletes, officials and referees. It will be financed from
private sector contributions, revenues generated by the
nationwide Olympic Lottery and a grant by the
Government of India. After the Games, the Village will
become the venue for affordable housing, to which
Delhiites of weak economic means will have first access.
The new residential colony will be equipped with state-of-
the-art facilities like primary and secondary schools,
playgrounds, a post office, a community medical centre and
an entertainment district.
� Olympic Plaza: At the very centre of the Olympic Park, the
Olympic Plaza will contain a live site capable of hosting
200,000 self-contained visitors who don’t have paying
access to any of the ticketed areas of the Olympic Park. The
Olympic Plaza will be a meeting point for sports spectators,
from all nations, to share the once-in-a-lifetime experience
of the first Olympic Games in India. Following the role
model set by the Winter Games, all non-athletics medal
ceremonies will take place on each of the 16 evenings of
Olympic competition, in front of a crowd of hundreds of
thousands. The plaza will feature concerts by international
and Indian artists, thus making it a hub of cultural activity
during the Games.
� IBC: The International Broadcasting Centre will be set up in
the midst of the Olympic Park. It will provide state-of-the-
art communications facilities for international and domestic
journalists to do their work, including access to high-speed
broadband internet access and 2 dedicated studios for
impromptu broadcasts. The Olympic Broadcasting Services
will also have their seat in the IBC. After the Olympic
Games, the IBC will transformed into the centrepiece of the
”Delhi Media and Culture Complex”, offering a new, low-tax
site for media and culture professionals in the Park.
“The world will be
witness to beautiful
sights, green
spaces and
historical
monuments, as our
athletes will explore
the wonder that is
New Delhi”
“The Olympic Park
which will be
landscaped in an
unexplored area of
New Delhi, will
continue to be a
beating heart of
New Delhi well
after the Olympic
Games“
2.4. The Future of the Olympic Park
The Olympic Park which will be landscaped in an unexplored area of
New Delhi, will continue to be a beating heart of New Delhi well
after the Olympic Games. The Park’s pedestrian pathways will be
expanded, new trees will be planted and the Olympic Lake will be
retained. After the Games, it will be renamed the “Rakesh Sharma
Olympic Park”, after the first Indian astronaut in space.
Following the Games, the Park will be declared a national
monument with protected legal status. A hybrid corporation will
ensure the adherence to environmental standards and full-scale
maintenance of the facilities. A “Rakesh Sharma Park Corporation”
consisting of statutory representatives of the federal and state
governments (in an advisory function and for coordination
purposes), the business sector and civil society organizations will
ensure the administration of the Park. The Indian Olympic
Association and the new Indian Institute for Sport will take their
seats in the Park, as will the Ministry of Sports. Levels of funding
will be guaranteed for 25 years after the end of the Games by the
Central Government and private donors, as well as the Olympic
Lottery (which will be renamed the National Lottery).
The idealistic heart of the Olympic Movement will continue to beat
in the Park: An Olympic Museum will attract additional visitors.
Further, an Olympic School will be founded, incorporating a
curriculum very much tilted towards the sports (especially athletics,
badminton and squash). Preferred admission will be given to
children from poor families. Consequently, the Olympic Movement
will continue to make a difference in people’s lives – long after the
Olympic Flame has been extinguished on 13 October 2024.
Delhi will continue to host events in all types of sports, and will
submit systematically planned bids for athletics, volleyball, tennis,
basketball, hockey and rowing world championships to be held
between 2025 and 2035.
Artistic impression of the Olympic Lake area after the Olympic Games
“The Olympic Park
will continue to be a
beating heart of
New Delhi well
after the Olympic
Games”
“The Olympic Park
which will be
landscaped in an
unexplored area of
New Delhi, will
continue to be a
beating heart of
New Delhi well
after the Olympic
Games“
Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, shortly before
completion
Transport
3.1. Concept
The transportation concept of Delhi 2024 is built upon a horizontal
integration of all modes of transport (air, bus, car and metro). We
will make Delhi 2024 an example for effective transportation
throughout the world. The primary goal of the concept is for 1)
athletes and officials to easily reach the Olympic Park, 2) visitors to
reach the Olympic competition venues smoothly and 3) for the Host
Community to benefit from the staging of the Olympic Games.
3.2. Airport
The Indira Gandhi International Airport is the premier airport of
India. By 2024, it will have the capacity to handle up to 80 million
passengers a year. By 2030, this number will have been expanded to
100 million passengers a year. Even at this stage, the airport directly
serves all major capitals in the world.
The airport is located approximately 25 kilometres from the city
centre of New Delhi and 35 kilometres from the Olympic Park. The
Olympic Route Network will endeavour to keep travel times well
below 35 minutes to the Olympic Park. In addition, the airport is
connected to the city centre via the Metro Express Line, cutting
travelling time to 18 minutes.
“Delhi already has the right foundations to provide for the traffic needs of the Olympic Family and our visitors from abroad.”
3.3. Metro and Buses
The Delhi Metro was inaugurated on Christmas Day 2002, serving 2
million passengers a day in 142 stations across the National Capital
Region, stretching across 193 kilometres. It proved its mettle during
the 2010 Commonwealth Games and will be well-equipped to do so
for the greatest international sporting event. The Metro will serve
the northern and southern ends of the Olympic Park and has
dozens of stations serving the competition venues in the centre of
New Delhi (see Metro Map in the Annex).
Buses make up another environment-friendly alternative in Delhi
and will complement the Metro network by means of a Bus Rapid
Transit corridor.
3.4. Roads and highways
Further, the Delhi road network encompasses 1922.32 kilometres of
length, with the city being served by five national highways. Upon
award of the Delhi 2024 Games, the Central and State governments
have committed themselves to an extensive programme of road
modernization to be completed by January 2023.
This programme is particularly intended to modernize major
arteries in New Delhi, expand existing highway lanes and provide
further road connections to the Olympic Park. Moreover, to reduce
any challenges of road congestion, the Olympic Games Act already
gives the State Government the authority to decommission every
car for up to a week during the Olympic Games.
As a further measure to regulate road traffic, a special Olympic
Congestion Charge will be charged for entry of cars in a radius of 25
kilometres within the Olympic Park.
3.5. Olympic Route Network
Delhi 2024 will bring an Olympic Route Network into existence,
covering approximately 300 kilometres of roads in New Delhi. The
principal routes served will be:
- Indira Gandhi Airport to Olympic Park
- Indira Gandhi Airport to Olympic Family Hotels
- Indira Gandhi Airport to Race Course Road, Raisana Hill and
- Central Secretariat (seats of government)
- Olympic Park to the seats of government
Detailed plans of action will be taken for days such as the arrivals of
the athletes, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the
departure of the athletes. An amendment to the Olympic Games
Act will provide for the summer holidays to be shortened by 17 days
and for that portion to be shifted into the Games period, thus
creating an Olympic Holiday. This will have the advantage of
involving children from the host community and relieving stress on
transport as well. The days of the Opening and the Closing
Ceremony will be designated as official holidays in the State of
Delhi, thus making it a day off for the city. These measures will
effectively address any challenges the Olympic Games may present
in terms of traffic management in Delhi and the Capital Region.
“The days of the Opening and the Closing Ceremony will be designated as official holidays in the State of Delhi, thus making it a day off for the city.”
Rashtrapati Bhavan, the seat of the President of India
Public Support, Financing and Safety
4.1. Political Structure
India is a parliamentary federal republic consisting of 28 states and
6 Union territories. The State of Delhi, in which the Olympic Games
are to be held, has been designated by legislation as an Union
Territory and National Capital Territory with an own Legislative
Assembly and limited self-government. India’s federal parliament
consists of two chambers, the Lower House and the Upper House.
The Lower House is elected every 5 years by the people of India.
The President (elected indirectly by an Electoral College from the
federal and state parliaments) serves as the representative head of
state of the country. The executive is de facto led by the Prime
Minister, formally appointed by the President upon forming a stable
government with sufficient parliamentary support. Executive power
is vested in the Union Cabinet.
The current Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, as well as
the Chief Minister of Delhi and the Leader of the Opposition in the
Legislative Assembly of Delhi are on record as supporting the bid –
all parties back the bid, with there being no meaningful opposition
to the bid in Delhi or the remainder of India. All 28 Chief Ministers in
India have expressed their support for the Games to be held in
Delhi. The next federal election is scheduled for 2014. Even a
change of government is highly unlikely to result in a disruption of
this bid.
The current cabinet approved a formal guarantee requested by the
International Olympic Committee, underwriting any shortfall the
operating budget of a putative Delhi Organising Committee for the
Olympic Games might incur. Parliament passed the Olympic Games
Act in 2015, in preparation for this bid. It sets out detailed
regulation and protections for the intellectual property rights of the
Olympic Movement, whilst providing for contingency powers for
federal and state governments on a variety of areas.
“In opinion polls,
91% of Delhi
citizens and 88%
of Indians back
Delhi’s candidacy”
4.2. Public Polling
The Olympic Games bid by Delhi 2024 enjoys broad public support:
In opinion polls, 91% of Delhi citizens and 88% of Indians back
Delhi’s candidacy. There is no organized opposition to the bid.
4.3. Financing
The infrastructure underpinning the Olympic Games will be
financed by federal and state governments (in parity). Support for
the Olympic Village will be provided by the Olympic Lottery, the
federal government and corporate donors. Keeping in line with past
experiences, it is projected that the current budget of $USD20
billion is not going to be exceeded.
“Keeping in line with
past experiences, it
is projected that the
current budget of
$USD20
billion is not going
to be exceeded”
The Indian Team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games entering the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi
Ceremonies and Protocol
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will
take place on the evening of Saturday, 28 September 2024,
beginning at 19:30 New Delhi time (GMT+4:30), at the Olympic
Stadium of the new Olympic Park. The gates of the Olympic Park
will open at 17:00.
After the arrival of all ticketholders and official guests, the
President of India will be received at the entrance to the
Presidential Box by the President of the International Olympic
Committee. Upon the playing of the Olympic fanfare, the flag of
India will be carried into the Olympic Stadium by representatives of
the four branches of the Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force
and Coast Guard. A guard of honour will then raise the Indian flag
on the lower of the two flagpoles placed at the north end of the
Olympic Stadium (near the Presidential Box).
The cultural section of the Ceremony is scheduled to last 2 hours. It
will chart India’s history as a civilization stretching from ancient
times to the Colonial Era to modern India. In doing so, it will place
special emphasis on three overarching values: nature, knowledge
and harmony. India’s achievements since its independence in 1947
will be given particular prominence. The sections will be named:
- Ancient Times
- Long Walk to Freedom
- Inspiration to the World
“Inspiration to the World” will honour Indian sportsmen who have
excelled in the Olympic Games, focusing on individual athletes –
“The Ceremony will
place special
emphasis on three
overarching values:
nature, knowledge
and harmony.
and celebrate India’s achievements on the world stage. Classical
and contemporary Indian music will be given its due, but the
ceremony will remain a rather formal affair.
After the completion of the cultural section, the Parade of Nations
will take place. For reasons of time, it is suggested that only
athletes and one representative of the officials be permitted to
partake in the Parade. Announcements during the entire Ceremony
will take place in French, English and Hindi. The nations will march
in the English alphabetical order. As is customary, the Parade will
begin with the Greek delegation and finish with the Indian Olympic
team walking into the Olympic Stadium. A mixture of international
and domestic songs will be played, some typical of the nation
marching. The Greek delegation will walk in to the chimes of the
Syrtaki from “Zorba the Greek”, with the Australian team being
greeted by “Waltzing Matilda”, the German team by “Dieser Weg”
and the Indian team entering the Olympic Stadium to A.R.
Rahman’s “Vande Mataram”. Indian and Olympic flags will have
been distributed amongst the spectators.
After the speeches by the President of the Delhi Committee for the
Olympic Games and the IOC, the President of India will open the
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, with firework erupting and a chorus
performing “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven. Afterwards, a group of 10
famous sportspersons from or with a direct connection to India will
be welcomed to the Olympic Stadium, carrying the Olympic Flag to
the higher flagpole. The flag will then be taken by another military
honour guard, who will then raise the flag to the strains of the
Olympic Hymn – performed in Greek and Hindi by a group of Indian
and Greek schoolchildren, respectively. The official oaths will then
be taken, leading towards the culmination of the evening - the
lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
At this time, Delhi 2024 favours an Olympic cauldron high atop the
southern end of the Olympic Stadium (with provision being made
for such a cauldron). The cauldron itself will be a simple structure,
similar to its predecessor in Sydney 2000. The torch will be carried
into the stadium by a prominent representative of the 2020 Host
Country, thus emphasizing the handover to India. The Flame will
then be handed over to Indian sporting legends, who will do a full
lap of the Stadium, then handing over the flame to India’s first gold
medallist, Abhinav Bindhra, who would then run up the steps of the
South Stand to light the cauldron.
The Opening Ceremony would end with a massive fireworks display
high above the Olympic Park and the centre of New Delhi.
Closing Ceremony
The Closing Ceremony will take place on Sunday, 13 October 2024
at the Olympic Stadium. It will begin at 17:30 New Delhi time (+4:30
GMT). It is scheduled to last exactly 1.5 hours. Its scope will be
radically reduced as compared to previous Closing Ceremonies. To
save time, the athletes will take their place on the centre field by
16:45.
“The cauldron itself
will be a simple
structure”
The Ceremony’s motto will be “A Generation’s Promise”. It will
focus on the salient moments of the Games, celebrating the stars of
the Delhi Games. The President of India will enter the stadium,
together with the IOC President at 17:30, to proceed to the
Presidential Box. After the Olympic fanfare has been played, the
Indian national anthem will be performed by a choir of classical
singers, whilst the Indian flag shall be raised by an honour guard
consisting of representatives from all four branches of the armed
forces.
Subsequently, the President of the IOC and the President of India
will participate in the medals ceremony for the winner of the men’s
marathon, which (to account for better conditions) would have
been completed the night before, by 22:00, New Delhi time. After
the medals ceremony, a video montage will be shown across the
stadium (and on television) celebrating the greatest moments of
the Delhi Games – this will be interspersed by verses from Indian
poetry and literature (ancient, medieval and modern) being read by
known actor Amitabh Bachchan.
Then, one of the emotional highlights of the ceremony: Three
generations of Indians from Delhi and the rest of India – celebrities
and ordinary Indians – will say “Thank You” to the athletes for the
memories, the new friends made and the fulfilment of India’s dream
to host the Games. They will mention the one memory of the
Games that they will treasure. This will be followed by a Volunteers
Ceremony, thanking the volunteers with flowers and the best 5
volunteers (as voted by their peers) with free flight tickets to a
destination, paid for by the DCOG.
This part will be followed by the Handover Ceremony, with the flags
of Greece and the 2028 host country being raised. The Chief
Minister of Delhi will then hand over the Olympic Flag to the IOC
President, who will then hand it over to the Mayor of the 2028 host
city (in what is known as the Antwerp Ceremony). The 2028 Host
City will be given 15 minutes to present its vision of the next
Olympic Games. Subsequent to this, the final musical performance
of the Closing Ceremony will follow, accompanied by a classical
Indian dance.
In a solemn moment, the attendees will then rise for a minute of
silence – to honour the memory of all former Olympians who have
participated in the Olympic Games since 1896. This will be followed
by a rendition of the Olympic Hymn (in Greek, English, French and
Hindi stanzas) by the Olympic Youth Choir, as the Olympic Flag is
lowered and carried out of the Olympic Stadium by Nobel laureates
of Indian origin. The final speeches will be given, in accordance with
the Olympic Charter, by the DCOG President and the President of
the IOC. Shortly after he proclaims the Games of Delhi closed, the
Olympic Cauldron will be extinguished to the sound of a lone
trumpet. This will be followed by a nocturnal flypast of the Indian
Air Force, which will be the cue for the final fireworks display. The
Ceremony will end at approximately 19:00 New Delhi time.
“After the medals
ceremony, a video
montage will be
shown across the
stadium”
Map 1: The positioning of the Olympic Park, just to the east of the city
centre of New Delhi. The site of the Park is already serviced by six
metro stations and the nearby bus stop at the exhibition grounds
(“Pragati Maidan”) nearby.
Map 2: The Olympic Park would be serviced by the turquoise line, to
the east of the Yamuna River.
Olympic Park
and Metro
Maps
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