Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya urges collaboration in sports infrastructure and talent development at Chintan Shivir.
Hyderabad: Union sports minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday called on state governments to play an active role in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India hosting the 2036 Olympic Games a reality. Speaking at a two-day Chintan Shivir on India’s preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the country’s bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics, Dr Mandaviya emphasised the need for collaboration in developing sports infrastructure and nurturing talent.
“The Chintan Shivir provided a platform for dialogue on critical areas such as talent identification, coaching methodologies and sustainable sports development. Representatives from Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Haryana, Bihar, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh shared best practices,” he said, highlighting the importance of mutual learning to speed up progress.
He reiterated that making India a Viksit Bharat by 2047 requires a structured and collective approach to sports development. “Though sports are a state subject, a unified effort is essential to position India as a formidable sporting nation,” he noted.
A key focus of discussions was the impact of the Khelo India initiative in identifying and nurturing young athletes. Dr Mandaviya said that over 2,800 Khelo India academies have been established, with 937 of the 1,045 Khelo India Centres currently operational. He stressed the need for a national athlete repository with unique IDs to track talent and ensure systematic growth.
