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India says it wants the 2036 Olympics in what is seen as an attempt by Narendra Modi to cement his legacy but the country faces numerous challenges to host the biggest show on earth. The prime minister says staging the Games in a nation where cricket is the only sport that really matters is the "dream and aspiration" of 1.4 billion people. Experts say it is more about Modi's personal ambitions and leaving his mark on the world stage, while also sending a message about India's political and economic rise. Modi, who is also pushing for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, will be 86 in 2036. "Hosting the Olympics will, in a way, burnish India's credentials as a global power," said academic Ronojoy Sen, author of "Nation at Play", a history of sport in India. "The current government wants to showcase India's rise and its place on the global high table, and hosting the Olympic Games is one way to do it." Already the most populous nation, India is on track to become the world's third-biggest economy long before the planned Olympics. India submitted a formal letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee in October, but has not said where it wants to hold the Games. Local media are tipping Ahmedabad in Modi's home state of Gujarat, a semi-arid region where temperatures surge above 50 degrees Celsius (122F) in summer. Gujarat state has already floated a company, the Gujarat Olympic Planning and Infrastructure Corporation, with a $710 million budget. Ahmedabad has about six million people, its heart boasting a UNESCO-listed 15th-century wall which sprawls out into a rapidly growing metropolis. The city is home to a 130,000-seater arena, the world's biggest cricket stadium, named after Modi. It staged the 2023 Cricket World Cup final. The city is also the headquarters of the Adani Group conglomerate, headed by billionaire tycoon and Modi's close friend Gautam Adani. Adani was the principal sponsor for the Indian team at this summer's Paris Olympics, where the country's athletes won one silver and five bronze medals. Adani and his associates were Wednesday charged in the United States with paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials for lucrative solar energy supply contracts. The Adani Group called the allegations "baseless". Despite its vast population India's record at the Olympics is poor for a country of its size, winning only 10 gold medals in its history. Sports lawyer Nandan Kamath said hosting an Olympics was an "unprecedented window of opportunity" to strengthen Indian sport. "I'd like to see the Olympics as a two-week-long wedding event," he said. "A wedding is a gateway to a marriage. The work you do before the event, and all that follows, solidifies the relationship." Outside cricket, which will be played at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, Indian strengths traditionally include hockey and wrestling. New Delhi is reported to be pushing for the inclusion at the Olympics of Indian sports including kabaddi and kho kho -- tag team sports -- and yoga. Retired tennis pro Manisha Malhotra, a former Olympian and now talent scout, agreed that global sporting events can boost grassroots sports but worries India might deploy a "top-down" approach. "Big money will come in for the elite athletes, the 2036 medal hopefuls, but it will probably end at that," said Malhotra, president of the privately funded training centre, the Inspire Institute of Sport. Veteran sports journalist Sharda Ugra said India's underwhelming sports record -- apart from cricket -- was "because of its governance structure, sporting administrations and paucity of events". "So then, is it viable for us to be building large stadiums just because we are going to be holding the Olympics? The answer is definitely no." The Indian Olympic Association is split between two rival factions, with its president P.T. Usha admitting to "internal challenges" to any bid. After Los Angeles, Brisbane will stage the 2032 Games. The United States and Australia both have deep experience of hosting major sporting events, including previous Olympics. India has staged World Cups for cricket and the Asian Games twice, the last time in 1982, but it has never had an event the size of an Olympics. Many are skeptical it can successfully pull it off. The 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi were marked by construction delays, substandard infrastructure and accusations of corruption. Many venues today are in a poor state. "India will need serious repairing of its poor reputation on punctuality and cleanliness," The Indian Express daily wrote in an editorial. "While stadium aesthetics look pretty in PowerPoint presentations and 3D printing, leaking roofs or sub-par sustainability goals in construction won't help in India making the cut."

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Tick, tick, tick ... The Penguins are a disaster, having won only four games in regulation with Thanksgiving a few days away. Their goal differential is a baffling minus-34, worst in the NHL , seven goals clear of San Jose . All of which brings us to the head coach. Mike Sullivan entered the season being viewed by many in the organization as bulletproof, for many reasons: • Those two Stanley Cup rings loom large. Advertisement • He has a particularly close relationship with Sidney Crosby , who very much believes in Sullivan. • Fenway Sports Group ownership has a fondness for Sullivan. • Sullivan has two years remaining on his contract following this season, and while Fenway might have a lot of money, the ownership group is oddly stingy with money at times, leading many to believe FSG wouldn’t be interested in paying for two head coaches for the better part of two seasons. • And maybe the biggest of all: Expectations were low this season anyway, with many in the organization figuring this team would miss the playoffs given it’s in a transitional period. So, is Sullivan in trouble? The above evidence would suggest he’s not. But the truth is only Kyle Dubas truly knows, which is a very interesting part of this situation. As things currently stand, the Penguins don’t really have a boss. Sure, Fenway is in charge, but who’s calling the shots? Is John Henry analyzing the lack of production from the power play? Is Tom Werner worked up about the bad defensive zone coverage? Is Teddy Werner taking notes on Tristan Jarry ’s glove hand? Honestly, I don’t know. And I don’t mean to mock. They actually all seem like very nice people, and I mean that sincerely. But that’s the thing about FSG: They’re so, so corporate. And they aren’t hockey people. What this means is Sullivan’s fate is very much in the hands of Dubas. The Penguins don’t really have a boss in terms of ownership. Mario Lemieux might have been the most hands-off owner imaginable, but he was still the boss and made certain decisions. And kept everyone accountable because of who he was. Dubas, frankly, has more power than anyone in the organization by a long shot. I think Dubas likes Sullivan a lot and thinks he’s a great coach. I’d also note Dubas, more than anyone, seemed very interested in squashing optimism before the season at his press conference. I think he knew there was a real chance this team wouldn’t be very good and thus Sullivan probably was expected to survive this season. Advertisement The question is, how poorly do the Penguins have to play for Sullivan to get fired? I’m sure there is a point where Dubas will say enough is enough. No coach, not even Sullivan, is immune from being dismissed. The Penguins are horrific right now. My sense all along, however, has been that Dubas and ownership don’t hold Sullivan responsible for what’s going on. So, sure, he could get fired. But I think the Penguins view that as a last resort. And I don’t think they truly want to let him go. • I sat down with Sullivan for a one-on-one interview last week . While I assure you I wrote about the comments from Sullivan that I found to be the most interesting and revealing, I’ve had a few days to consider his mood, his mindset and everything he said. If anything annoys Sullivan, it’s the perception that he doesn’t make in-game or in-season adjustments. He’s very sensitive to this. • Do the Penguins continually make the same mistakes in the defense zone? Absolutely. Do their special teams give them an edge on a regular, or even occasion basis? Absolutely not. Do the Penguins look stale? Absolutely. Put it all together, and you’ve got a splendid recipe for a coach firing. It’s undeniable. I will say this for Sullivan: His intensity and passion remain the same as they’ve ever been. This isn’t a coach who is mailing it in, or who isn’t going out of his way to ignite his team. He’s doing everything. Lineup changes. Hard practices. Days off. Benching Hall of Fame defensemen from the power play. Putting his future Hall of Fame centers on the same line. Lately, the Penguins have adopted more of a defensive posture. They were better defensively (baby steps) against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets , but it came at the expense of the Penguins’ ability to generate offense. I think it’s unfair to suggest Sullivan never changes. He’s never changed more than he has this season. Advertisement The problem is, of course, that it isn’t working. • The number of people in the Penguins organization who were disturbed by Crosby dropping the gloves on Friday against Winnipeg is high. Don’t take this the wrong way — no one has a problem with Crosby fighting. He’s a competitor of extreme measures and sometimes he fights. Fair enough. What people in the organization are troubled by is the reality that even at 37, Crosby is left to fight his own battles. The same can be said of Evgeni Malkin , 38, and Kris Letang , 37. One source in the organization told me, “If I played on the third or fourth line, saw Sid fight, and did nothing, I’d be (expletive) ashamed of myself.” Many people in the organization feel this way and are upset about the lack of fight this team displays on a regular basis. • I’d expect Tristan Jarry to keep playing on a regular basis. While he’s 0-2-1 since making his return to the lineup — and he’s given up 11 goals in those three games — the prevailing sentiment in the organization is that some progress has been made. Jarry allowed five goals in his return from Wilkes-Barre against the Blue Jackets , but the Penguins were so hideous defensively that game that the organization was very much willing to give the goaltender a pass. He’s been better since then, allowing three goals apiece against the Lightning and Jets, two of the NHL’s more gifted offensive teams. While Brayden Point ’s overtime goal was undeniably a bad look — Jarry’s penchant for allowing goals on the first shot of the game, something that’s remarkably happened in four of his six appearances this season, can’t be ignored, either — the Penguins think Jarry looks sharper and is in a clearer mindset now than he was in October. How he will play moving forward is anyone’s guess, and gauging Penguins goalies isn’t easy simply because of the horrific defense being played in front of them. But the Penguins want to find out if Jarry has a future with them, or can be potentially used as a trade piece down the road, once and for all. Advertisement • The organization is delighted with what it has seen from Owen Pickering . The 2022 first-round pick has dealt with some health setbacks but very much impressed the coaching staff with his performance during training camp. So far, he’s been one of the Penguins’ most steady defensemen. The sample size is small, but there is a mounting belief in the organization that Pickering is going to become a very good NHL player. There’s a chance he will return to Wilkes-Barre, but I’d bet on him seeing the majority of this season in Pittsburgh. The Penguins really like him and they’re very much aware of how dreadful their blue line has been. • The number of season-ticket holders I’ve heard from in recent days is staggering. While many complaints have been voiced, a displeasure with Fenway Sports Group ownership is by far the most common theme. (Top photo of Mike Sullivan: James Guillory / Imagn Images)KARACHI: Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik accused leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of not wanting the release of their founder, Imran Khan, during a news conference on Sunday. Dr. Malik emphasized that the government’s priority remains to address public issues, highlighting that its measures have significantly reduced inflation and propelled the stock market to unprecedented levels. He also condemned extremism, noting the dire situation in Parachinar where grieving families have been left without support, criticizing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for his absence in these critical times. Further, he critiqued Gandapur’s aggressive stance towards Punjab and Islamabad, questioning the effectiveness of PTI’s leadership as protests fail to materialize in major cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala. “What happened to his Do or Die rally today? There are voices everywhere saying ‘Arrest me, take me in.’ Where are all the senior PTI leaders?” Dr. Malik asked, suggesting a disconnect within PTI ranks. Dr. Malik concluded by challenging the opposition’s commitment to the nation’s progress, questioning the whereabouts of the millions of supporters PTI claimed would mobilize at its call. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

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