Ahmedabad: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that India’s sporting ambition should not be limited to winning the maximum number of medals, but should focus on strengthening every sport represented at major international competitions.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Archery Association of India’s ‘World Archery Para Series Amdavad 2026’, Union Minister Shah noted that the country’s approach under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership is aimed at building a comprehensive sporting ecosystem.
“Our aim is not merely to win the maximum number of medals, but to strengthen all the sports included in the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Police Games, and other such competitions,” he said.
The World Archery Para Series is being held in Ahmedabad from September 5 to 9, with 108 athletes from 19 countries participating.
Union Minister Shah said the development of sport in India should cover competition, training, infrastructure, equipment and specialised support systems rather than focus solely on medal tallies.
He asserted that India would become a hub for training in all kinds of sports as well as for manufacturing sports facilities and equipment.
He also said the country and Gujarat would develop as major global centres for sports injury care.
“In the coming days, India will rapidly emerge as a global leader in the fields of sports engineering and sports medical science, while also becoming a major medical centre for the treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries,” Union Minister Shah added.
He said the wider objective was to make India the world’s largest sporting hub.
“Facilities being developed in Ahmedabad would be designed to international standards and would support athletes beyond the immediate sporting events hosted in the city,” he emphasised.
He cited the achievements of Indian para archers Harvinder Singh, Sheetal Devi, Rakesh Kumar, Shyam Sundar Sami and Payal Nag, who have represented India successfully at the global level.
Union Minister Shah said champions were not created through sporting facilities, practice or coaching alone.
“The true foundation of becoming a champion is an athlete’s passion, dedication and determination to win,” he added.
In his post on social media platform X, Union Minister Shah added: “The World Archery Para Series was a test of the ‘single-minded focus’ of archers and the competition would establish new benchmarks of excellence.”
(IANS)
