Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address in New Delhi, outlined an ambitious vision for Indian sport, calling for the country to compete across all sporting disciplines at the 2036 Olympics.
As part of this long-term plan, Modi announced a nationwide talent identification initiative to discover young athletes with sporting potential. The programme aims to provide promising children with access to quality coaching, modern facilities and the necessary support to develop their abilities.
‘India moving ahead at great pace’
“India is making space for itself in the world of sports. We hear our national anthem frequently and see our tri-colour going up very often. TOPS has achieved great success. Whether it is Khelo India Games, University Games, Beach Games, Winter Games, or sports training, sports medicine, sports nutrition, India is moving ahead at great pace,” PM Modi said in his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort in New Delhi.
“India’s performance is improving, and we are strong contenders to become an Olympic host in 2036. We are hosting the CWG in 2030. There are about 40 disciplines in Olympics, with nearly 350 events. It is sad that we are not able to even compete in at least two thirds of these events because we are not even able to qualify,” he added.
India launching nationwide talent hunt
PM Modi said India needs to broaden its sporting base and ensure that athletes are prepared to compete across disciplines at the 2036 Games. The talent hunt is expected to form part of that wider effort to identify and develop athletes at a young age.
“We have decided that in 2036, we should participate in at least three fourth events. We are launching a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to identify prospects in every corner of the country. They will get special training to become world-class athletes,” he said.
