Sudisha Sinha, Mumbai
The press conference conducted by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) regarding the revamped Khelo India schemes, approved by the Union Cabinet on July 31, is aimed at creating a stronger pathway from grassroots participation to elite sport.
SAI highlighted that despite having the world’s largest population and being the third-largest economy, India is still not competing at the highest level across as many sports as it would like.
The long-term targets were also discussed. For the 2036 Olympics, India is targeting a top-10 finish, with 12-14 gold medals and 30-35 medals overall. The target for the 2048 Olympics is a top-five finish, with 35-40 gold medals and 90-100 medals overall.
A major part of the revamped approach is financial support. The overall outlay has been increased eightfold, while support for athletes is set to increase nearly tenfold, from ₹3,000 to ₹30,000. The increased investment is also expected to provide a significant boost to National Sports Federations.
The revamped framework will bring together initiatives such as Khelo India Utkrusht Vidyalayas, Khelo India Feeder Schools, Khelo India Centres and Olympic Training Centres, creating a more structured pathway for athletes from the grassroots level to high-performance sport.
The scheme is built around nine key components: sports infrastructure for the medal strategy; strengthening existing sports assets; state action plans for sports infrastructure development; sports competitions and leagues; talent identification and development; coach and support-staff development; Khelo India training facilities; the Fit India Movement; and sports technology.
Coach development is another important area, with SAI highlighting the proposed National Coach Accreditation Board as part of efforts to strengthen the coaching ecosystem and improve the quality of support available to athletes.
The new approach also brings greater focus to sports science and technology, reflecting a shift towards more scientific and data-driven athlete development.
The broader vision is to create an athlete-centric system that connects schools, grassroots centres, competitions, coaches, sports science and high-performance training.
With 2036 emerging as the next major benchmark, the revamped Khelo India framework is expected to play a central role in India’s attempt to turn its vast sporting potential into sustained Olympic success.
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