On paper, its chances seem slim. Its recent slip-ups – the cancellation of the World Beach Games and the refusal to accept Israel into the Under-17 Football World Cup – could even have reduced them to pieces. But Indonesia continues to believe in its Olympic future. With one objective: to win the organization of the Summer Olympics in 2036.

The site GamesBidsreports, citing information from the news agency Antara, that the Indonesian Olympic Committee continues its discussions and its “ dialogue” with the IOC as part of the bidding process for the Summer Games in 2036.

The president of the body, Raja Sapta Oktohari, explained this to the Indonesian agency: “ We continue our efforts to make Indonesia a future Olympic host, probably in 2036.”

In fact, Indonesia's desire to become the first country in Southeast Asia to host the Summer Games will very soon take a concrete turn. An official delegation will travel to the Paris 2024 Games, as part of the observer program proposed by the IOC. It will be made up of representatives from the national Olympic committee, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

Once this Parisian stage has passed, Indonesia will be invited, again by the IOC, to closely follow the preparation of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. An opportunity offered to countries that have entered the dialogue phase with the prospect of an Olympic candidacy in 2036 or even beyond.

Tempted by a bid for the Summer Games in 2032 before the IOC's decision to signal the end of the game by designating Brisbane eleven years before the deadline, Indonesia postponed its project for four years. It's not the only one. But its president, Joko Widodo, seems to have made it a personal matter. He took advantage of the G20 Summit, in November 2022 in Bali, to publicly express the country's wish to host the Games in 2036. An announcement welcomed with kindness by Thomas Bach, always ready to open the door to applicants, even the least successful armed to win.

At this stage, the Indonesian file remains unclear. It could be built around the country's future capital, Nusantara, a city-province located on the coast of Borneo. Currently in the construction phase, it could replace Jakarta as early as this year, but the end of the work is not expected for at least two decades.

Question: can Indonesia win? If the IOC's decision were to come in the coming months, the answer would certainly be negative. It is difficult, in fact, to imagine the Olympic body awarding the Summer Games to a country whose refusal to accept Israel led FIFA last year to withdraw the organization of the Under-17 World Cup. Also last year, Indonesia gave up hosting the World Beach Games and the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Bali. Officially, for budgetary reasons, but the explanation provided by the Indonesians fooled no one.

The IOC has not leaked the slightest information on the timetable for the attribution of the Games in 2036. The Olympic body does not wish to rush. The file will fall to Thomas Bach's successor, who will take over the presidency in 2025, provided that the German leader follows through on his intention to leave his office after a reign of twelve years.

With a new president at the head of the IOC, the Olympic movement will no longer be quite the same. The cards could be redistributed. And, with them, everyone's chances in the race for the Games in 2036.