Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a nationwide sports talent identification campaign for children aged 5 to 15, as India steps up preparations for a potential bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, Modi said India’s performance in international sports was improving and the country was emerging as a strong contender to host the Olympics in 2036.
India is also set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, according to the Prime Minister.
Modi highlighted the need for India to expand its participation across sporting disciplines. While the Olympic Games feature around 40 sports and approximately 325–350 events, India currently does not participate or qualify in nearly two-thirds of them.
To address this gap, the new talent identification campaign will search for promising young athletes across villages, cities and schools.
The focus will be on children between five and 15 years old, with particular attention to identifying talented girls.
“If we need athletes for 2036, we must focus today on these young boys and girls who are 5, 10 or 15 years old,” Modi said.
Children identified through the campaign will undergo assessment of their sporting abilities and receive specialised training aimed at developing them into athletes capable of competing at the highest level.
The Prime Minister pointed to existing initiatives such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India Games, University Games, Winter Games and Beach Games as part of India’s expanding sporting ecosystem.
He also highlighted investments in sports infrastructure, coaching, sports medicine and nutrition.
The growing sports sector could also create career opportunities beyond competing as athletes. Young people could find employment in areas including coaching, sports medicine, nutrition and other sports-support professions.
outh employment was another major focus of the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address.
Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, a ₹1 lakh crore initiative aimed at generating new employment opportunities.
Under the scheme, young people entering private-sector employment will receive ₹15,000, while companies creating additional employment will receive incentives.
The government expects the initiative to create employment opportunities for approximately 3.5 crore young people.
Modi said young people would be among the biggest beneficiaries of India’s development journey towards 2047.
The Prime Minister also announced a new initiative offering free online coaching for young people preparing for competitive examinations.
He said the cost of private coaching had become a significant burden for middle-class families.
The government plans to use India’s digital public infrastructure, teaching resources and technology to create a broad network for delivering online coaching to students across the country.
The Prime Minister also warned about the impact of drug abuse on India’s youth and called for a collective effort to address the problem.
He said building a Nasha Mukt Bharat was a shared responsibility and stressed that protecting young people from substance abuse was essential to unlocking their potential.
The announcements place sports, employment, entrepreneurship, education and youth well-being at the centre of India’s long-term development agenda.
With the proposed 2036 Olympics as a major sporting objective, the nationwide talent hunt could help create a larger pipeline of athletes from an early age while also expanding opportunities around India’s wider sports ecosystem.
