If India is to emerge as a dynamic sporting power by 2036, it will have to adopt the principles of grassroots development, create a graded governance system to nurture talent, and build an ecosystem for youngsters to become professional athletes, said Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya here on Tuesday.

Mandaviya is currently giving shape to a three-pronged strategy to create the platform for India to emerge as a sporting powerhouse by the 2036 Olympic Games, for which it has submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’ to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“To take sports forward, sports development, sports governance and sports ecosystem are a must. If we build these three things together, only then can sports prosper in the country,” said Mandaviya in an exclusive interaction with PTI.

“Under sports development, we will have to identify talent. There is no dearth of it in our country. We will start with the Khelo India School Games where talent will be spotted. This talent will then need to be nurtured,” said Mandaviya, outlining the blueprint.

“To nurture this talent, each district, suppose we get 100 children, they will go to district-level sports schools, private or government, hostels or playgrounds.” The minister added that good coaches will be employed to nurture the talent, following which the athletes will participate in the Khelo India University Games where the best will be identified further.

“Following this, they will compete in Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG)… we will keep the respective federation with us. But we will not be fully dependent on the federations. We have to identify talent and prepare it for 2036,” said the minister.

The identified talent through KIYG will then get Target Olympic Podium funding when they are ready for big international competition, the minister added.

Mandaviya said that there was no dearth of sports infrastructure in the country and the ministry was “analysing” to optimally utilise them.

“We have no dearth of sports infrastructure. State governments, Public Sector Undertakings, national federations, private sector, Central government have it. The need of the hour is to analyse all these sports infrastructure and optimally utilise it. We have started work on that and a repository will be made soon. We will also identify gaps in sports infrastructure.” 

The minister said that to create a sports ecosystem, so that more people get drawn towards it and take it up as a profession, the government will promote Fit India Movement.

“Schools and colleges should discuss more about sports, and for that more international events should be held in India… bringing Olympics in 2036. We are discussing all these issues and progressing very well,” he said.