Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials from the Centre and the Maharashtra government to discuss a roadmap for strengthening the state’s sports and youth development ecosystem.
The meeting focused on institutional reforms, high-performance sport, athlete development and governance, with the aim of positioning Maharashtra as a leading sporting state while aligning with India’s long-term sports ambitions.
Among those present were Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) CEO Pravinsinh Pardeshi, Sports Secretary and Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Hari Ranjan Rao, SAI Secretary Ram Singh, Maharashtra Principal Secretary (Sports) Ranjit Singh Deol and Joint Secretary (Khelo India) R. Vineel Krishna.
Officials discussed reforms in sports governance and measures to strengthen high-performance systems. The agenda also included coach development through Continuous Professional Development programmes, enhanced sports science support, athlete development pathways, and strengthening Mission Lakshyavedh. Officials reviewed the assessment of Khelo India Centres, sustainable sports infrastructure, professional management of sports facilities, and the rollout of digital athlete management systems.
Discussions also covered greater private sector participation, international collaborations for knowledge exchange, reforms to the state’s competition structure to ensure transparent, merit-based athlete progression, and the implementation roadmap for Project Mahadevaa.
Additionally, the meeting reviewed measures to strengthen the Youth Affairs ecosystem through dedicated institutional mechanisms, greater youth engagement, leadership development and improved coordination among stakeholders.
Khadse said close cooperation between the Union and Maharashtra governments would be key to achieving the objectives of the Khelo Bharat Niti and the vision of Viksit Bharat. She said the proposed reforms would complement Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ vision of strengthening Maharashtra’s position as one of India’s leading sporting states through institutional reforms, professional governance and sustained investment in athlete development.
The meeting concluded with both governments committing to work together on implementing the proposed reforms to build a globally competitive sports ecosystem and create greater opportunities for athletes and youth across Maharashtra.
(IANS)
