Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday called for an accelerated and comprehensive talent identification programme to build India’s athlete pool for the 2036 Olympics, taking forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a nationwide sports talent hunt.
Chairing the 63rd Governing Body Meeting of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Mandaviya said the groundwork for India’s sporting ambitions over the next decade needed to begin immediately.
“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,” the minister said.
Emphasising the need for a structured talent scouting mechanism, Mandaviya said athletes should be identified and nurtured across the sporting pyramid, including schools, districts, colleges and state-level competitions.
Two-Stage Talent Identification Process
Mandaviya proposed a two-stage process for talent identification. The first stage would focus on identifying athletes performing well at district and state levels, while the second would involve assessing their potential to progress to elite levels.
“Talent identification should happen in two distinct stages: first, identifying athletes who are performing well at the state and district levels, and then mapping those athletes to assess their potential and determine whether they possess the fitness, passion, dedication and ability to progress to the next level,” he said.
He said the objective should be to create a comprehensive national talent repository that could feed promising athletes into sports schools and higher-level training systems.
Focus on PPP Model and CSR Support
The sports minister also stressed the need to develop a public-private partnership model to expand India’s training ecosystem.
Under such a framework, athletes identified through state and district-level talent hunts could be linked with suitable academies for specialised training, he said.
Mandaviya further highlighted the role of the corporate sector in sports development through increased Corporate Social Responsibility participation. Such partnerships, he said, could supplement government-run facilities, expand training capacity and create a wider network of academies for athletes emerging from the talent identification system.
National Coach Accreditation Board Approved
As part of efforts to strengthen the coaching ecosystem, the SAI Governing Body approved the establishment of the National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB).
The NCAB, a key component of the revamped Khelo India Scheme, will provide a more structured framework for the accreditation and professional development of coaches.
The Governing Body also approved a proposed amendment to the recruitment rules for appointments to the post of Assistant Coach at Pay Level-6 on a deputation basis in SAI.
Emphasising the need to maintain momentum in the development of India’s sports ecosystem, Mandaviya said the pace of implementation needed to increase to meet the country’s growing sporting ambitions.
“There are lots of developments happening and we have to sustain this speed and we have to move three times faster to steadfast our sports projects,” he said.
Mandaviya said growing public interest in sports and rising expectations from the government required a faster and more focused approach to developing sporting infrastructure and talent.
“We have to fulfil the new vision for a new generation and we need to maintain that,” he added.
