Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Apr 26: Emphasising cooperative federalism in sports development, Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya today said coordinated efforts by the Union, States and Union Territories are essential to frame a comprehensive roadmap to enhance India’s global sporting stature.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a three-day Chintan Shivir here, Mandaviya said such forums play a crucial role in policy formulation and coordination among stakeholders.
“Such events help in formulating the roadmap and fostering collective efforts under the federal democratic system by taking everyone along,” he said.
The Chintan Shivir brought together sports ministers, senior officials and prominent sporting personalities from 22 states, serving as a national platform to deliberate on the future of sports in India.
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Mandaviya said seven thematic sessions were conducted during the event, focusing on developing a 10-year roadmap and outlining strategies to position India among the top five sporting nations by 2047.
He added that discussions also focused on achieving a top-10 global ranking within the next decade.
According to the minister, key areas of deliberation included strengthening talent identification systems, enhancing sports goods manufacturing, improving the country’s medal tally, and building robust sports infrastructure and ecosystems across regions.
He described the ‘Chintan Baithak’ as a “Kumbh of ideas,” noting that participation from all states ensured diverse inputs and strengthened the planning process.
Mandaviya said such inclusive engagements help align national and state priorities, enabling a more coordinated push towards long-term sporting goals.
He underlined that sustained collaboration and shared responsibility among stakeholders would be vital to translate policy into measurable outcomes and realise India’s ambitions in global sports.
On the concluding day of the event, the Ministry also unveiled the “Srinagar Khel Sankalp,” a national vision document aimed at strengthening sports culture, with a focus on athlete-centric development and infrastructure expansion.
The document was released by Mandaviya in the presence of state sports ministers and leading sporting figures.
Pitching sports as a key pillar of nation-building, the document states that “sport plays a pivotal role in nation-building” and calls for collective action, asserting that “States, UTs, and the Union… [are] determined to go above and beyond for our youth.”
It emphasises convergence across institutions, noting that “Sporting Federations and Associations, States, and the Union shall move as one, converging on shared targets… and advancing together with an athlete-centric approach.”
The Sankalp outlines plans to expand sports infrastructure, identify talent and develop regional sports clusters, highlighting that “India’s diversity is not a challenge to be managed but a reservoir to be drawn from,” and committing to build systems rooted in local geography and culture.
Projecting sports as an economic driver, the document says it is “a potent tool of socio-economic development,” with the potential to “boost tourism, attract international events, and spur local industry.”
It also reiterates India’s ambition to host global tournaments, including the Olympics and World Cups.
Highlighting youth fitness and inclusion, the document states that “every Indian child deserves the joy and strength that sport can give,” and envisages an ecosystem “where every athlete can soar, and every child is fit and healthy.”
Signalling a broader policy shift, it asserts that “sports will not be a footnote but a rising chapter in India’s renaissance,” underlining collective resolve with “Sankalp se Siddhi (resolution brings success).”
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