new delhi: From ‘grassroots to glory,’ the punchline for the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 is the brainchild of the NDA Government, which is keen to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. Even though the formulation of the policy has undergone changes with an aim India can do well in sports, it does not pertain to cricket alone.
The PIB press release on Thursday describes the policy as a landmark initiative aimed at reshaping the country’s sporting landscape and empowering citizens through sports. It focuses on strengthening sports programmes from grassroots to elite levels, with mechanisms for early identification and nurturing of talent, promoting competitive leagues and competitions, and developing infrastructure in rural and urban areas. It also aims to build world-class systems for training, coaching, and holistic athlete support, while enhancing the capacity and governance of National Sports Federations.
Clearly, for those who have been following Indian sports for decades, there has been a paradigm shift. Three decades back, sports was indeed viewed just as an extra-curricular activity, with academics as the main thrust. Even now, by the time a student completes his or her Class 10 exams and looks at the last two years, the focus if pure academics and scoring marks as high as possible.
If one does a random sampling, the number of school children, across India, who are allowed to pursue sports before the dreaded Class 12 board exams (CBSE) would be a small number. On paper, the new policy may look attractive. The focus definitely is one growth of Indian athletes and providing them an opportunity. But then, excellence in sports is not as simple as taking tuitions in academics and appearing for exams.
On paper, the policy looks nice, but producing an Olympics champion or Asian Games champion is not child’s play. Integrating sports, harping on the Khelo India Games and launch of new sports leagues is fine, but if India aspires to become a powerhouse at the Olympics, it is still viewed with pessimism.