India's proven global sporting credibility: International Federation endorsements & readiness for mega events

Feb 02, 2026

New Delhi [India], February 3 : India has hosted nearly 45 international competitions across over 20 sports disciplines in the last year, spanning Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth core sports.
This sustained hosting record demonstrates India's capacity to deliver technically complex, multi-venue, broadcast-intensive events with large international participation.
High-visibility events such as the Asian Aquatics Championships 2025 (Ahmedabad), World Para Athletics Championships (New Delhi), Kho Kho World Cup, FIH Pro League, ISSF Junior World Cup, BWF World Junior Championships, and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Pune Grand Tour highlight India's operational readiness across diverse geographies and sporting formats.
There have been instances of endorsements of India's credibility by officials of International Federations (IFs), a few of them are listed as follows:
Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), publicly commended India's organisational strength during the World Para Athletics Championships, stating as per SAI Media press release: "This is the biggest event outside of the Paralympic Games... There is growth and strong support from the government. India has momentum and is growing both economically and sportingly." His remarks reflect international confidence in India's para-sport governance and event delivery capabilities.
Paul Fitzgerald, President of World Para Athletics (WPA), highlighted India's rapid competitive and systemic progress, noting that India's improving medal trajectory is a direct outcome of better infrastructure, wider athlete reach, and a maturing high-performance pathway.
Amina Lanaya, Director General of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), praised the conduct of the Pune Grand Tour, describing it as a world-class international cycling event and indicating that India's races have the potential to evolve into Asia's reference events, signalling UCI's technical confidence in India as a host nation.
Thomas Konietzko, President of the International Canoe Federation (ICF), acknowledged India's rapidly strengthening canoeing ecosystem and stated, "Asia is the future of canoeing, and India has huge potential to emerge as a canoeing powerhouse." He further expressed strong appreciation for India's leadership-driven vision, youth participation, and infrastructure planning.
On India's long-term high-performance ambitions, Konietzko welcomed the proposal to establish India's first Olympic Training Centre for Canoeing at Tehri, Garhwal, describing it as "one of the most beautiful and promising venues" he has encountered, and endorsed India's intent to host World Championships with appropriate infrastructure such as artificial canoe slalom courses.
Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing, praised India's organisational credentials while awarding hosting rights for the World Boxing Cup Finals and World Boxing Congress, stating that India has consistently demonstrated its passion for boxing and its ability to organise successful international events, and describing India as "an important leader in the world of boxing".
World Rowing's global recognition of the Army Rowing Node (ARN), Pune, further validates India's high-performance ecosystem. In awarding ARN the 'Rowing Programme of the Year 2025', World Rowing described it as "A beacon of India's commitment to combining discipline, innovation and inclusivity in sport." This marked the first time an Indian programme received this prestigious international honour.
Positive hosting recognition during Asian Aquatics Championships 2025 - Official communication around the event emphasised that hosting such a major continental championship showcases India's infrastructure readiness, organisational capability and emerging profile as a competitive international host.
The convergence of endorsements from International Federations' leadership across Paralympic sport, athletics, cycling, canoeing, rowing and boxing reflects a growing global trust in India's governance standards, technical capability, athlete-centric planning, and delivery excellence.
This sustained hosting experience directly strengthens India's preparedness for the Commonwealth Games 2030, already awarded to the country, with demonstrated success across CWG disciplines, venues, and international federation coordination.
Collectively, India's hosting track record and repeated validation by senior IF officials align seamlessly with India's aspiration to host the Olympic Games 2036, positioning the nation as a reliable, globally respected, and future-ready destination for the world's largest sporting events.