India one of six nations to express interest in hosting 2038 Asian Games; OCA to decide by 2028
India is among six countries that have expressed interest in hosting the 2038 Asian Games, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Director General Husain Al-Musallam said at a press conference ahead of the opening of the 2026 Asian Games on September 18, 2026. The OCA confirmed the field and signalled that a final recommendation on the host will not be made until at least 2028.
India submitted its Expression of Interest in April as part of a broader campaign to host major international events, a drive that also includes a bid for the 2036 Olympics and plans to stage the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. The OCA discussed India’s EOI at its executive board meeting in Sanya, China, in April, according to the council’s statements.
Al-Musallam outlined the selection timetable, saying the process would involve several evaluation stages and site visits by an OCA committee. “We have received interest from India, from Philippines and from other four countries to host the Asian Games in 2038. This shows the popularity of the Asian Games,” Al-Musallam said. “There are 12 more years to go. The calendar is well-established. The executive board has taken a decision to create an evaluation committee to visit all those (bidding) countries next year and then submit initial report,” he added.
The council plans to follow the first round of visits with a shortlist, then carry out another evaluation closer to the Games. “Based on the initial report, we will have a short list and then go for another visit nine or 10 years before 2038 and then submit the final report (recommending the host),” he said.
The Philippines is confirmed among the interested parties; South Korea first indicated an intention to host in 2021 with Gwangju and Daegu proposed as venues, and Mongolia has reportedly shown interest though its formal EOI status is unclear. The OCA will evaluate each expression of interest as part of the committee’s visit schedule.
India’s bid follows a history of hosting the Asian Games in the country’s past: New Delhi staged the inaugural edition in 1951 and hosted again in 1982. The 2038 bid also sits alongside the OCA’s existing awards for the next two editions, with Doha scheduled to host in 2030 and Riyadh in 2034 after both were awarded together in 2020. The 2026 Asian Games are set for September 19 to October 4, with around 11,000 athletes expected to participate alongside approximately 6,000 support staff, and the 2023 Hangzhou edition involved more than 11,000 athletes across 40 sports.
The immediate next step is for the OCA’s evaluation committee to commence visits to the interested countries next year; the initial assessments and ensuing shortlist will shape the process that could lead to a final host recommendation nearer to 2028.