“In the 2024 Olympics, we won eight medals, but that will not be enough in 2036. We must target at least 100 medals,” Jay Shah, former BCCI President, aims for Mission 100 medals.
Former BCCI president and current ICC chairman Jay Shah has outlined an ambitious mission and a roadmap for Indian sports, calling for a 100-medal haul at the 2036 Olympic Games as India pushes for the right to host the mega event. Shah made these remarks while addressing the Run for Girl Child Half Marathon held in Surat.
Speaking to the gathering, Shah expressed strong confidence that India is on track not only to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games but also to bring the Olympic Games to the country six years later. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for playing a key role in reviving India’s presence as a global sporting host after a gap of nearly two decades.
“The Prime Minister has brought the Commonwealth Games to India in 2030, but we should not stop there. We must also bring the Olympics to India in 2036,” Shah said. “In the 2024 Olympics, we won eight medals, but that will not be enough in 2036. We must target at least 100 medals. Out of those 100, at least 10 should come from Gujarat. I have full faith in that.”
Shah holds his vision that the Commonwealth Games should be viewed as a launchpad for bigger aspirations rather than the final goal. According to him, India must significantly raise its standards and long-term planning to compete with the world’s leading sporting nations on the Olympic stage.
However, his reference to India’s medal tally at the Paris 2024 Olympics was factually incorrect. India secured six medals at the Games, not eight, finishing 71st on the overall medal standings despite several close finishes that narrowly missed podium spots. The Indian contingent comprised 117 athletes, including those participating in team events.
The enormity of Shah’s 2036 target underlines the scale of transformation required across infrastructure, grassroots development, athlete support systems, and high-performance programmes across the genre of sports.
Towards the end of his address, Shah also revisited a statement he had made after India’s defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. He recalled predicting a turnaround in India’s fortunes at the global level. “In 2023, we won hearts but not the trophy. I had said that in 2024 we would win both hearts and the cup, and we did by winning the T20 World Cup. We also won the Champions Trophy,” Shah said.
Shah’s comments reflect a growing confidence within the Indian sports administration, alongside an ambitious vision aimed at positioning India as a major Olympic powerhouse by 2036.
