India launches nationwide talent hunt to strengthen 2036 Olympic bid, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday that India is a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics and unveiled a nationwide talent hunt to identify young athletes aged 5 to 15. Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Mr. Modi said the government’s flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), launched in 2014, has been instrumental in supporting athletes.
“India is making space for itself in the world of sports. We hear our national anthem frequently and see our tri-colour going up very often. TOPS has achieved great success. Whether it is Khelo India Games, University Games, Beach Games, Winter Games, or sports training, sports medicine, sports nutrition, India is moving ahead at great pace,” he said.
The Prime Minister emphasised that India's performance is improving and that the country is a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics. He noted that India will host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and stressed the need to expand participation across Olympic disciplines.
“There are about 40 disciplines in the Olympics, with nearly 350 events. It is sad that we don’t compete in at least two-thirds of these events because we are not even able to qualify. We have decided that in 2036, we should have participation in at least three-fourths of the events. We are launching a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to identify prospects in every corner of the country. They will get special training to become world-class athletes,” he added.
The fate of India’s 2036 bid is expected to be known only in 2029.
According to earlier reports, the government has been brainstorming ways to improve performance in disciplines such as aquatics and cycling, which together offer over 100 Olympic medals but have so far yielded none for India. A similar approach was adopted by China ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where it significantly improved its performance in previously weak areas like boxing, canoeing, and archery, earning a record 100 medals.
India’s expansion plan is expected to focus on aquatics, cycling, rowing, and gymnastics. For instance, aquatics—including swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open-water swimming—will offer 55 medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Rowing has 45 medals at stake, and cycling has 66 medals across 22 events. India is currently not expected to win any medals in these disciplines.
India is hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, which is also in the race to host the 2036 Olympics.
The talent hunt will rely heavily on artificial intelligence for fitness battery tests, measuring cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, speed, agility, flexibility, and balance. A government source had earlier said that many children may not know their sporting capabilities, and basic tests could help identify those with potential.
Currently, the Khelo India Talent Development (KITD) scheme focuses on identifying young sporting talent at all levels, providing formative training and creating a pathway to Khelo India Academies, National Camps, and other elite sports schemes. According to the Sports Ministry, there are 1,067 Khelo India Centres across the nation.
The Prime Minister also called for hosting more international events in India, asking, “Why should global events not be held in India?”
