New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for India to broaden its participation across Olympic disciplines, saying the country must develop athletes in sports where it has traditionally had little or no representation, as part of preparations for the 2036 Olympics. Addressing youngsters virtually during the Khelo India Dialogue, PM Modi said a nationwide talent hunt targeting children aged 5 to 15 would be crucial for identifying athletes early and training them in sports suited to their abilities.
“This time, from the Red Fort, I drew the country’s attention to a major challenge in sports. This challenge is related to the Olympics. The bitter truth is that India’s teams don’t participate in half of the sports that are a part of the Olympics.”
PM Modi said India’s limited participation had remained a longstanding concern and directly affected the country’s prospects in the overall medal standings.
“That is, we do not compete for a very large part of the medal tally. And this has been the situation for a long time now. In the 2012 Olympics, India participated in only 13 sports. In more than 20 sports, India did not participate.”
The Prime Minister cited disciplines such as surfing and sports climbing as areas where India could build a stronger presence, given the country’s diverse geography.
“There are so many sports whose names people in the country have probably heard of. Other countries win medals in those sports. And we do not participate in those sports. We have to acquire the skills in these sports to increase the medal tally in these sports as well. For example, surfing and sports climbing.”
PM Modi said India’s coastline, mountains and varied terrain offered the country an opportunity to identify and nurture talent in disciplines linked to water, mountains and winter sports.
“We have such a long coastline and such a large mountainous region, where such sports can have a natural appeal. We have demographics and geographies across water and winter sports. But still, we are hardly seen anywhere in the world in such sports.”
He stressed that expanding India’s sporting footprint would require creating opportunities at the grassroots level, with districts developing ecosystems tailored to different disciplines. “Therefore, we have to create such opportunities in different districts, where a special sports ecosystem can develop. And this plays a very big role in today’s event.”
Linking the initiative to India’s preparations for the 2036 Olympics, PM Modi said the focus must extend beyond infrastructure to identifying the athletes who could eventually qualify for and compete at the Games. “When we talk about preparation for the 2036 Olympics, our focus should be on developing players who will qualify and compete in different sports.”
He said the talent identification drive announced from the Red Fort on Independence Day would focus on children between five and 15 years of age, with the objective of matching youngsters not merely with the sports they enjoy but with disciplines in which they possess the greatest potential.
“That is why I announced a major talent hunt from the Red Fort, on Independence Day, to identify players aged 5 to 15. And we don’t just have to see which child is interested in which sport. We also have to determine which child is suited to which sport. We have to train that child accordingly.”
PM Modi assured the young participants that the government would provide the necessary support as they pursue sporting careers. “And I assure all of you that whatever support you need, the government will stand shoulder to shoulder with you.”
(IANS)
