Delhi 2024

Delhi 2024

CANDIDATURE FILE constituting an application for hosting the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in 2024

Dates of the Olympic Games 1.1.

“A new generation is ready to infuse the Olympic Movement with the passion of its dreams”

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 eleventhlargest 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

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-ofthe-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”

“There will be no “white elephants”, badly maintained or underfunded facilities”

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.

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We will welcome the world and make Delhi the stage for an

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Finally, we will return the Olympic Movement to its roots.

Away from grand buildings, favouring compact and stateof-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

“We “Concession will live up to the pricing promise will be to rally and regulated unite atonew enable generation working families of young to children enjoy thewho wonder will that be our will be future the Delhi Olympians, Games.“ across the world“

“All competition venues will be reachable within a 10 km radius of each other“

of the Delhi Metro Another aspect of Delhi 2024 will be a modern state-of-theart Olympic Village, which will set the highest standards of sustainability in the usage of building materials, facilities and ontime 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.

“The heart of Delhi 2024 will be the Olympic Park, located at the 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 HalfMarathon.

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

banks of the Yamuna River”

“Built for the 2010 Commonwealth

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).

Games, the

Delhi Sports Arena: The multidiscplinary venue of the Delhi 2024, to host basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, weightlifting and badminton (100,000 spectators).

Velodrome will

Equestrian Park: Delhi will host all equestrian competitions, as well as the modern pentathlon.

once again be host to world-class

Maritime Complex: This part of the Olympic Park, in the south of the area, will host all water sports: canoeing, openwater rafting, sailing and rowing. A dedicated section will also play host to the beach volleyball tournament.

CITY ZONE

cycling“

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.

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-ofthe-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-theart 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.

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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

“Delhi already has the right foundations to provide for the traffic needs of the Olympic 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.

Family

and our visitors from abroad.�

“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.�

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.

“In opinion polls, 91% of Delhi citizens and 88% of Indians back Delhi’s candidacy” 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.

“Keeping in line with past experiences, it is projected that the current budget of $USD20 billion is not going to be exceeded”

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.

“The Ceremony will place special emphasis on three overarching values: nature, knowledge and harmony.

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 cauldron itself will be a simple structure”

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 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.

“After the medals

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.

shown across the

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.

ceremony, a video montage will be stadium”

Olympic Park and Metro Maps

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.