New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address young people across the country on Thursday as the government seeks to use sport as a platform not only for nurturing athletic talent but also for youth leadership, civic engagement and nation-building.
Modi will address the Khelo India Dialogue at 11 a.m. via video conferencing as part of the National Sports Day 2026 celebrations. Organised by Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), the nationwide programme will bring together youth at two colleges in every district across States and Union Territories.
The initiative comes with India’s sporting ambitions extending beyond participation and medals, with the country also preparing for its bid to host the 2036 Olympics. The dialogue will seek to place young people at the centre of that longer-term sporting journey while encouraging them to contribute to the wider Viksit Bharat agenda.
Rather than being confined to discussions on sport, the Khelo India Dialogue will bring together sports, fitness, youth leadership, volunteering, civic responsibility and nation-building. It is intended to provide a direct channel for young people to share their aspirations and ideas on how India’s sporting ecosystem and youth programmes can evolve.
A central component of the programme will be Yuva Samvaad, where participants will discuss five broad themes.
The first will focus on strengthening India’s sports ecosystem through better facilities, coaching, sports science and inclusive participation. The second will examine ways to nurture talent for the 2036 Olympics through scientific talent identification, transparent selection and long-term athlete development.
The dialogue will also focus on creating a new generation of youth leaders through governance platforms and MY Bharat-led volunteering. Another theme will explore how young people can contribute to Viksit Bharat by developing civic-mindedness, future-ready skills and a culture of structured volunteering.
The fifth theme will focus on the Nasha Mukt Yuva movement, with sport and peer networks being positioned as tools to combat substance abuse. The initiative will be reinforced through weekly Jan Bhagidari activities under the Prime Minister’s 100-week nationwide campaign launched on August 2.
The national programme will be followed by local interactions involving young participants, MY Bharat volunteers, local sportspersons and public representatives. Youth with an interest in sport will also have the opportunity to interact directly with leading Indian athletes and medal winners.
The format reflects a broader attempt to connect India’s sporting ambitions with its youth-development agenda, giving young people a role not merely as aspiring athletes or spectators but as volunteers, leaders and participants in the country’s civic and national-development programmes.
With the Khelo India Dialogue being held ahead of National Sports Day, the government is seeking to turn the occasion into a wider conversation on how sport can help shape a fitter, more disciplined and socially engaged generation while building the human base for India’s longer-term sporting ambitions.
(IANS)
