Home / Sports / India's Sports Chiefs Told: Athletes Come First
India's Sports Chiefs Told: Athletes Come First
9 Jan
Summary
- Sports officials must prioritize athletes over personal trips.
- Deadline set for Asian Games contingent nominations: January 15.
- India aims for top 10 in 2036 Olympics with medal strategy.
Sports administrators in India have been unequivocally told that attending multi-sport events as a "family outing" is unacceptable. Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao emphasized that officials must be fully available for athletes, warning that those viewing the events as leisure trips are not needed. The Indian Olympic Association has been given a strict January 15 deadline to submit names for the Asian Games contingent.
The country is also focusing on a long-term medal strategy, aiming to secure 12-14 gold medals and 30-35 total medals to rank in the top 10 at the 2036 Olympics. This ambition requires significant investment in talent identification, with plans for Olympic Training Centres and an AI-driven monitoring mechanism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly approved this ten-year vision.
India's medal targets for upcoming games include an estimated 111 medals for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and a more modest 20-odd medals for the Commonwealth Games. The nation's performance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is also projected to be low, raising concerns about India's readiness to host the 2036 Olympics.
