Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has called for an accelerated and comprehensive talent identification programme to build a strong athlete pool for the 2036 Olympics, stressing that preparations for India’s long-term sporting ambitions must begin immediately.
Chairing the 63rd Governing Body Meeting of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Mandaviya said the next decade will be crucial for strengthening India’s sporting ecosystem and developing athletes capable of competing at the highest international level.
“The plan for the next 10 years before we see the Olympics being hosted in the nation has to start in full swing right from this moment,” Mandaviya said.
The Minister’s directions come in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a nationwide sports talent hunt. He stressed the need for SAI to strengthen its talent scouting mechanism and establish a structured system to identify promising athletes from across the country.
Mandaviya proposed a two-stage talent identification process. The first stage would focus on identifying athletes performing strongly at the district and state levels, while the second would assess their potential, fitness, passion, dedication and ability to progress to higher levels of competition.
He said the talent hunt should cover the entire sporting pyramid, including schools, districts and colleges, with the objective of creating a comprehensive talent repository that can feed into sports schools and advanced training programmes.
Focus on PPP Model and Corporate Participation:
The Sports Minister also emphasised the need to expand India’s training ecosystem through public-private partnerships (PPP). Under the proposed approach, athletes identified through state- and district-level talent hunts could be directed towards suitable academies for specialised coaching and development.
He also called for greater participation by the corporate sector through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Such partnerships, he said, could supplement government-run facilities, increase training capacity and help establish a wider network of sports academies.
National Coach Accreditation Board Approved:
The SAI Governing Body approved the establishment of the National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) as part of the revamped Khelo India Scheme.
The NCAB is expected to provide a structured framework for coach accreditation and professional development, strengthening the quality of coaching available to athletes across the country.
The Governing Body also approved a proposed amendment to the recruitment rules for appointment to the post of Assistant Coach (Pay Level-6) in SAI on a deputation basis.
Mandaviya Calls for Faster Implementation:
Calling for sustained momentum in sports infrastructure and development projects, Mandaviya said the pace of implementation must increase significantly.
“There are lots of developments happening and we have to sustain this speed and we have to move three times to steadfast our sports projects,” he said.
With growing public interest in sports and rising expectations from the government, Mandaviya stressed the need to accelerate efforts to create a stronger sporting ecosystem and provide greater opportunities for the next generation of Indian athletes.
“We have to fulfil the new vision for a new generation and we need to maintain that,” he added.
The decisions taken at the SAI Governing Body meeting underline the government’s focus on early talent identification, stronger coaching systems, expanded training infrastructure and wider public-private participation as India prepares for its long-term Olympic ambitions.
