New Delhi, August 15: India wants to start identifying its future Olympians at the grassroots level, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 as the country pushes towards its 2036 Olympic ambitions.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on India's 80th Independence Day, Modi said India is a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics and needs to significantly increase its participation across Olympic disciplines.
"We have decided that in 2036, we should have participation in at least three fourth events. We are launching a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to identify prospects in every corner of the country," Modi said.
The programme will use Artificial Intelligence
and fitness tests to assess children for attributes including cardiovascular endurance, strength, speed, agility, flexibility and balance.
Focus On Untapped Olympic Sports
Modi pointed out that India currently does not compete in nearly two-thirds of Olympic events because athletes are unable to qualify.
The proposed talent hunt will focus on identifying prospects across the country, particularly in sports where India has traditionally had a limited presence.
Aquatics, cycling, rowing and gymnastics are expected to be among the key areas.
The scale of the opportunity is significant. Aquatics alone will have 55 medal events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while rowing and cycling offer 45 and 66 medals respectively across their events.
India has so far struggled to make an impact in these disciplines.
Building On Khelo India And TOPS
The proposed initiative will build on existing government programmes such as Khelo India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
TOPS, launched in 2014, has focused on supporting India's elite medal prospects, while Khelo India has increasingly become a pathway for identifying and developing young sporting talent.
The government currently has 1,067 Khelo India Centres across the country for grassroots talent development.
The proposed talent hunt would move that process even further down the age curve, looking for sporting potential among children before they have necessarily chosen a sport.
India's 2036 Olympic Bid
India's 2036 Olympic bid is yet to be decided, with the host expected to be selected in 2029. Ahmedabad is at the centre of India's hosting plans and will also host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, giving the country another major multi-sport event to demonstrate its organisational capabilities.
For Modi, however, the Olympic project extends beyond hosting. It is about building an athlete pool capable of competing across a much wider range of events.
"Their talent will be identified and they will get special training to become world-class athletes," Modi said.
The message from the Red Fort was therefore clear: if India wants to become an Olympic sporting power in 2036, the search for its next generation of athletes has to begin now.
(With inputs from PTI)
