VARANASI, Jan. 5 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is actively preparing to bid for the 2036 Olympics, leveraging its experience in hosting major international events like the FIFA Under-17 World Cup and Hockey World Cup. The country is also set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will help develop sports infrastructure and showcase India's capabilities. While virtually addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 72nd National Volleyball Championship held in Varanasi, Modi said, "You may have noticed that over the past decade, several cities have hosted more than 20 international events, including the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, the Hockey World Cup, and various chess tournaments. The 2030 Commonwealth Games are also scheduled to be held in India. India is now actively preparing to bid for the 2036 Olympics..." Ahmedabad is reportedly bidding to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, with a proposed budget of Rs 34,700 crore to Rs 64,000 crore. The plan involves twin-city development with Gandhinagar and aims to create world-class facilities, with officials actively engaging with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries were present at the Varanasi event. The volleyball tournament, scheduled from January 4 to 11, will see participation from over 1,000 players across 58 teams representing states and institutions nationwide. Highlighting the transformation of India's sports ecosystem, Modi said initiatives such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) have played a crucial role in nurturing talent by providing exposure, while the government is working to build better infrastructure and a funding system. "Because of the TOPS initiative, the sports ecosystem is being developed in India today," he said, adding that over the past decade, the country has successfully hosted more than 20 international sporting events. He said India's progress is not limited to the economic front, but is also reflected in the confidence seen on the sports field. The government has significantly increased the sports budget, and today India's sports model has become 'athlete-centric', with the focus on talent identification, scientific training, nutrition and transparent selection, ensuring that the interests of players are prioritised at every level, he added. He said there was a time when both government and society were indifferent towards sports, which created uncertainty among players about their future, and very few youth adopted sports as a career. In the past decade, there has been a change in the mindset of both the government and the society towards sports. "Today the nation is riding on the Reform Express, with every sector and every development destination connected to it, and sports being one of them," he asserted. India's performance across various sports has consistently improved since 2014, he said and expressed pride in seeing Gen-Z athletes hoist the tricolour on the field. As the Member of Parliament from Varanasi, he expressed happiness in welcoming and congratulating all the players participating in the National Volleyball Championship, calling their presence a living example of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'. He also said there are many parallels between India's development story and the game of volleyball. "Volleyball teaches us that no victory is ever achieved alone and our success depends on our coordination, our trust, and the readiness of our team." He added that everyone has their own role, their own responsibility and we succeed only when each person fulfills their responsibility with seriousness. "Our nation too is progressing in the very same way." He highlighted that the government has undertaken major reforms in the sports sector, including the National Sports Governance Act and the Khelo Bharat Policy 2025, which will provide opportunities to the right talent and increase transparency in sports organizations. These provisions will allow the youth to advance simultaneously in both sports and education. At the school level too, efforts are being made to expose young athletes to Olympic sports, Modi said, adding that through the Khelo India campaign, hundreds of youth have had the chance to advance to the national level. He said the players have reached this national tournament after immense hard work, and their efforts will be tested on the grounds of Varanasi in the coming days. The prime minister stated the nation is progressing from cleanliness to digital payments, from "Ek Ped Maa ke Naam" to the campaign for a developed India, with every citizen, every section, and every province working with a collective consciousness and the spirit of India First. Modi said that only a few days ago, the Sansad Khel Mahotsav concluded, where nearly one crore (10 million) youth showcased their talent and around three lakh (300,000) youth from Varanasi demonstrated their strength and skills on the field....