PM Modi said- Those who play, they blossom
Underlining the broader social impact of sports, Prime Minister Modi said that the impact of success on the sports field is not limited to the player alone, rather it further strengthens the respect of families, educational institutions, districts and the entire state. Sharing his thoughts, he said, “Those who play, blossom and ‘blossoming’ in sports does not just mean winning on the field. It also means overall development of an individual and his family as well as enhancing the pride of the nation.”
Khelo India has become a wonderful platform for nurturing sporting talent across the country. It is providing young athletes with opportunities and support to pursue their dreams.@kheloindia
https://t.co/hj8qEJRj09— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 27, 2026
India is not present even in half the events of the Olympic Games
Referring to one of the biggest challenges facing Indian sports, the Prime Minister expressed deep concern that the country is still unable to participate in many major sports disciplines included in the Olympics. Recalling his address from the Red Fort, he said that India registers its presence in less than half of all the sports played in the Olympics.
#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “When we talk about preparations for the 2036 Olympics, our focus should be on preparing those players starting today who will qualify and compete in various events in 2036, and therefore, from the Red Fort, I have announced a… pic.twitter.com/7h3xLKpb6Z
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2026
Citing his old statistics, he said that during the 2012 Olympic Games, India had participated in only 13 sports, whereas there were more than twenty sports events in which not a single athlete from the country had participated. The Prime Minister clearly said that to improve our medal tally and establish dominance at the international level, we will have to master those sports also in which traditionally our presence has been either negligible or non-existent.
Sports are a campaign of nation building and youth power
The Prime Minister explained in detail that India’s sports approach should not be limited to medal tally only, but its main objective should be to give the right direction to the youth power and sports talent of the country. He said that when they talk about sports, its scope goes beyond just winning and losing, and it is an important campaign to unite the youth energy of the country to build a developed India. He said that success in sports not only gives recognition to the player, but also makes his family, school, college and the entire society proud.
Remembered Major Dhyan Chand and mentioned India-New Zealand relations
During this special interaction, Prime Minister Modi paid tribute to the great magician of Indian hockey, Major Dhyanchand and remembered his invaluable contribution to the sports history of the country. Along with this, he also made special mention of the century-old sports relations between India and New Zealand.
He said, “Today is also an occasion to remember Major Dhyan Chand, the great son of Mother India. Exactly a hundred years ago, the Indian Army hockey team toured New Zealand and Major Dhyan Chand was a part of that historic team. This laid the strong foundation of the 100-year-old sporting relationship between India and New Zealand.”
Let us tell you that through various initiatives like ‘Khelo India’, the government is continuously working with commitment to nurture sports talent at the grassroots level and further strengthen the country’s presence in international competitions.