New Delhi, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for India to expand its participation across Olympic disciplines, saying the country must identify and develop athletes in sports where it has traditionally had little or no representation as part of its preparations for the 2036 Olympics.
Addressing youngsters virtually during the Khelo India Dialogue, Modi said India’s limited participation across Olympic sports remained a longstanding challenge and affected its prospects in the overall medal tally.
“The bitter truth is that India’s teams don’t participate in half of the sports that are a part of the Olympics,” he said.
Citing the 2012 Olympics, the Prime Minister said India had participated in only 13 sports and had no representation in more than 20 other disciplines.
“That is, we do not compete for a very large part of the medal tally,” Modi said, stressing the need to develop capabilities in disciplines where other countries have been winning medals.
He specifically mentioned surfing and sport climbing as areas where India could build a stronger presence. Modi said the country’s long coastline, mountainous regions and diverse geography offered significant potential for developing talent in water, mountain and winter sports.
“We have demographics and geographies across water and winter sports. But still, we are hardly seen anywhere in the world in such sports,” he said.
Modi emphasised the need to create discipline-specific sporting ecosystems at the district level and expand opportunities for children at the grassroots.
Linking the initiative to preparations for the 2036 Olympics, he said the focus should be on developing athletes capable of qualifying and competing across a wider range of events.
Modi said the nationwide talent hunt announced from the Red Fort on Independence Day would focus on children aged five to 15. The initiative, he said, would assess not only which sports children are interested in but also identify the disciplines for which they are naturally suited.
“We have to train that child accordingly,” he said.
The Prime Minister assured young athletes that the government would provide the necessary support as they pursue sporting careers.
“Whatever support you need, the government will stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” he said.
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