Under the leadership of Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State Raksha Nikhil Khadse, India, is redesigning its sports landscape to empower its vast youth population, 65% of whom are under 35, into champions of national pride. With a record ₹3,794 crore allocation for FY 2025–26, a substantial 130.9% increase since 2014–15, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is steering key schemes such as Khelo India. Of this, ₹2,191 crore is directed toward central programmes, signaling India’s ambitious drive toward Viksit Bharat 2047.
“When I observe families across the nation encouraging sports, it fills me with immense pride. This is a promising sign for India’s future,” Prime Minister Modi said recently, setting an inspiring tone for India’s athletic transformation.
National Sports Day 2025, observed August 29, will usher in a nationwide three-day fitness movement, ‘Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Main’, promoting one hour of daily physical activity to combat lifestyle diseases, while celebrating Olympic values like Excellence, Friendship, and Respect, and Paralympic principles of Courage, Determination, Inspiration, and Equality. This celebration coincides with the birthday of the legendary Major Dhyan Chand, “The Hockey Wizard,” whose humility and skill continue to inspire generations.
Underpinning this transformation are flagship initiatives. Khelo India, extended with ₹3,790.50 crore funding, has launched over 1,045 grassroots centres and 34 State Centres of Excellence, supporting thousands of young athletes with coaching, equipment, and stipends. The recently introduced Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 aims to elevate sports into a mainstream, career-oriented movement, integrated with the National Education Policy 2020 and anchored by early talent identification through programmes like KIRTI.
And governance is changing dramatically: the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, enacted on August 18, has replaced outdated structures with a modern, legally binding framework. It mandates athlete and gender representation in executive bodies, safe-sports policies, grievance redress mechanisms, term limits, and recognition of sports bodies as public authorities under the RTI Act. The Act also mandates a National Sports Board and a Tribunal to oversee ethics, disputes, and funding, all aligning India’s sports administration with global best practices.
Together, these reforms are leveling the playing field, from village grounds to national stadiums, ushering in a transformative era where every young athlete is a bearer of India’s progress toward a Viksit Bharat by 2047.