New Delhi: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has called for an accelerated and comprehensive talent identification roadmap to build India’s athlete pool for the 2036 Olympics.
Chairing the 63rd Governing Body Meeting of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Mandaviya said preparations for India’s sporting ambitions over the next decade must begin immediately.
The minister said SAI should strengthen its talent scouting mechanism and establish a structured system to identify athletes with the potential to progress to the highest level.
He said talent identification should be carried out in two stages. The first stage should identify athletes performing well at the state and district levels. The second should assess their potential based on fitness, passion, dedication and ability to progress to the next level.
Mandaviya said the talent identification process should cover the entire sporting pyramid, including schools, districts and colleges.
He said the objective should be to create a comprehensive talent repository that can feed into sports schools and higher-level training systems.
The minister also stressed the need for a public-private partnership model to expand the training ecosystem. Under the proposed framework, athletes identified through state and district-level talent hunts could be channelled to suitable academies for specialised training.
He also highlighted the role of the corporate sector in sports development through greater participation in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Such partnerships, he said, would help expand training capacity beyond government-run facilities and create a wider network of academies for athletes emerging from the talent identification system.
As part of efforts to strengthen the coaching ecosystem, the Governing Body approved the establishment of the National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB), according to an official statement.
The NCAB, a key component of the revamped Khelo India Scheme, will provide a structured framework for coach accreditation and development.
The Governing Body also approved a proposed amendment to the recruitment rules for appointment to the post of Assistant Coach (Pay Level-6) on a deputation basis in SAI.
Mandaviya stressed the need to maintain momentum in developing India’s sports ecosystem. He said ongoing developments must be sustained and sports projects must move at a faster pace.
He added that rising expectations from the government and growing interest in sports among Indians required the country to accelerate its efforts and fulfil the new vision for the next generation.
