Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Over the last 25 years, India’s sporting landscape has shifted from grassroots participation to high-performance excellence, a journey that began with Gujarat’s Khel Mahakumbh and expanded nationally through Khelo India, TOPS, Fit India and greater investment in sports infrastructure and athlete support.
The government’s account of this transformation is not only about medals at international competitions. It is also about building an ecosystem in which young talent is identified, nurtured and given the chance to compete at the highest level. The story traces back to 2010, when Gujarat, with Narendra Modi as chief minister, launched the Khel Mahakumbh to take sport beyond a few cities and established athletes and reach young people across the state.
After Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the approach went national. The Khelo India programme, launched in 2018, set two aims: mass participation and sporting excellence, joining talent identification, competitions, infrastructure, training centres and academies in a single pathway. For 2026 to 2031, the government has approved a combined outlay of more than Rs 36,400 crore for Khelo India and support to National Sports Federations, with a focus on infrastructure, talent identification, coaching, sports science and technology.
For elite athletes, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, or TOPS, provides targeted assistance for training, competitions, equipment and coaching. India won two medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016, seven at Tokyo 2020 and six at Paris 2024. In para sport, the tally rose from four at Rio to 19 at Tokyo and a record 29 at Paris. At the Asian Games, India won 57 medals in 2014, 70 in 2018 and a record 107 at Hangzhou in 2023, the first time an Indian contingent crossed 100.
Khelo India athletes are increasingly visible on the big stage. At Hangzhou, 124 of the 644-member contingent came through the programme and contributed 42 medals, including nine gold. At Paris 2024, 28 of the 117-member contingent were Khelo India athletes. By December 2024, 2,781 athletes had been identified under the programme and were receiving coaching, equipment and medical support.
Infrastructure has been another pillar, with the National Sports University in Manipur and Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut linking sports education with high-performance training. The Fit India movement, launched in 2019, aims to make fitness part of daily life, including through Fit India Sundays on Cycle.
India has also built a record as a host, from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017 and the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in 2022 to the Chess Olympiad in Chennai, the men’s Hockey World Cup in 2018 and 2023, the 2023 women’s world boxing championship, MotoGP Bharat and the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai in 2023. Ahmedabad has been selected to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and India is pursuing the 2036 Olympics.
The stated aim is for India not just to participate but to compete, win and establish itself as a leading sporting nation.
