India Sets 2036 Olympic Ambition With Nationwide Talent Hunt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a major long-term target for Indian sports, saying the country should aim to compete in at least three-fourths of all events at the 2036 Olympic Games. To support that ambition, the government will launch a nationwide talent identification programme for children between the ages of 5 and 15.

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi said India’s sporting performance has improved significantly in recent years, with Indian athletes increasingly making their presence felt on the international stage. He said the next challenge is to expand the country’s talent pool and ensure that Indian athletes qualify in a much wider range of Olympic disciplines.

“India is making space for itself in the world of sports. We hear our national anthem frequently and see our tricolour going up very often,” Modi said, highlighting the progress made through initiatives such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India Games, University Games, Beach Games and Winter Games.

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He also pointed to improvements in areas such as sports training, sports medicine and sports nutrition, saying India is moving forward rapidly on several fronts.

India, Modi said, is now a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics. The country is also scheduled to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. However, he noted that India’s participation in the Olympics remains limited because athletes are still unable to qualify for many events.

“There are about 40 disciplines in the Olympics, with nearly 350 events. It is sad that we are not able to even compete in at least two-thirds of these events because we are not able to qualify,” he said.

To address this gap, the Prime Minister announced that India will seek to identify sporting talent at a much younger age. Under the proposed nationwide talent hunt, children aged 5 to 15 will be screened across the country to identify promising athletes. Those showing potential will receive specialised training and support aimed at developing them into world-class competitors.

The initiative could prove particularly significant for India because sporting talent is often found outside major cities and established sporting centres. A wider talent search could help bring children from smaller towns, rural areas and less-developed sporting regions into the formal training system.

Modi said the ultimate objective is for India to participate in at least 75 per cent of Olympic events by 2036. Expanding participation across disciplines would not only increase India’s chances of winning more medals but could also create a broader and more sustainable sporting ecosystem.

The announcement comes as India prepares for another major international sporting assignment. Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with the formal handover taking place at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Glasgow Games. It will be India’s second Commonwealth Games after New Delhi hosted the event in 2010.

The Ahmedabad Games are expected to provide India with an opportunity to upgrade sporting infrastructure, strengthen athlete-support systems and identify emerging talent. The Narendra Modi Stadium complex is among the key venues planned for the event.

With the 2036 Olympics as the longer-term goal, the next decade could therefore be crucial for India’s sporting ambitions. The success of the new talent hunt will depend not only on identifying promising children, but also on providing them with sustained coaching, nutrition, sports science, competition exposure and access to quality facilities.