Greater Noida (Hridaya Mohan): When India won its first Olympic gold as a free nation in London in 1948—beating colonial rulers Britain in men’s hockey—it was a powerful symbolic moment. But beyond the headlines and hoisted Tricolour, India lacked both a sports infrastructure and a policy framework. Talent, passion and patriotic pride were in abundance, but these were not matched by institutional support, funding or vision.
Fast-forward to July 1, 2025: India’s Union Cabinet approves a bold, sweeping National Sports Policy – Khelo Bharat Niti 2025. It marks not just an update of past policy documents but an ambitious redefinition of India’s relationship with sport—as an instrument of soft power, economic growth, national health and social inclusion.
To understand the significance of this moment, we must first retrace the long, uneven arc of India’s sporting policy journey over the past 77 years.
1947–1980s: A Nation Competing Without a Compass
In the decades after independence, sport in India was largely shaped by colonial hangovers and elite patronage. Hockey flourished due to army and railways support. Cricket gained popularity through princely associations and club culture. But beyond these few islands of success, there was no national sports ecosystem.
The All India Council of Sports (AICS) was established in 1954 to advise the government, but it had neither statutory backing nor executive power. There was no national framework for infrastructure development, rural outreach, physical education or talent identification. States did their own thing and sports federations were largely autonomous, opaque and often dysfunctional.
India continued to win Olympic hockey medals until 1980, but success in other sports remained sporadic and heavily dependent on individual effort—like Milkha Singh in athletics or Ramanathan Krishnan in tennis.
The Asian Games (1951 and 1982) and Commonwealth Games (2010) in Delhi gave brief infrastructure boosts, but there was no long-term policy planning. India was participating in global sports, but without a roadmap.
1984: The First National Sports Policy
In 1984, the Indian government introduced the first National Sports Policy. It promised to:
- Promote physical fitness through schools and colleges
- Develop rural and tribal sports
- Improve coaching and infrastructure
- Coordinate efforts across ministries and states
Unfortunately, the policy suffered from limited budgetary commitment, poor implementation and no built-in evaluation mechanisms. It lacked teeth. Sports remained sidelined in planning exercises and federations operated with little oversight.
1990s: Liberalization, Leagues and Lag
India’s economic liberalization in 1991 changed many sectors—but not immediately sports. However, the decade saw the commercialisation of cricket through television rights, leading to increased public interest and private investment.
Meanwhile, performance in multi-sport events declined. India won just one bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Public debates began to question the systemic neglect of athletes and calls for reform intensified.
Some promising initiatives emerged:
- Expansion of Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centers
- Introduction of the National Sports Talent Search Scheme
- Growing interest in private academies (e.g., Gopi Chand Badminton Academy)
Still, these remained piecemeal. There was no unified sports vision or institutional reform to overhaul federations, schools or funding models.
2001: Second National Sports Policy – A Better Framework
Recognizing the gaps, the government introduced a more detailed National Sports Policy in 2001. It identified two clear objectives:
- Broad-basing sports for fitness, health and participation
- Achieving excellence in competitive international sport
The policy proposed:
- Integration of sports into school education
- Revamping SAI and coaching programs
- Creating infrastructure in rural areas
- Promoting indigenous games
Schemes such as PYKKA (Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan) attempted to connect the grassroots with formal sport. Federations were encouraged to function transparently. But progress remained slow.
India’s performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics—just one silver—again raised uncomfortable questions. Policies looked good on paper, but execution was hampered by bureaucratic inertia, outdated training systems, repeated administrative scandals and fragmented responsibilities.
2008 Onwards: A New Era of Belief
The Beijing Olympics in 2008 proved to be a watershed. Abhinav Bindra’s gold in shooting, alongside bronze medals in boxing and wrestling, redefined public expectations.
India now began investing in elite athletes systematically. The government launched the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in 2014. Private initiatives like Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) and JSW Sports played a major role in athlete training and support.
At the same time, the launch of professional leagues—IPL, Pro Kabaddi, ISL, Premier Badminton League—helped mainstream sports beyond cricket and brought corporate sponsorship, fan engagement and athlete visibility.
The Khelo India programme (2017) pushed sports into schools, built new infrastructure and offered scholarships. India’s improved performance at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021)—with 7 medals including a historic gold in javelin—validated these efforts.
Still, challenges remained – talent was unequally distributed, rural and tribal youth were underrepresented and federations continued to suffer from governance issues.
2025: Khelo Bharat Niti — A New Vision for a Sporting Nation
On July 1, 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the National Sports Policy 2025, branded Khelo Bharat Niti. It is the most ambitious sports policy India has ever adopted—both in scope and clarity of purpose.
What Does It Aim For?
- Transform India into a Top-5 sporting nation by 2047
- Lay the groundwork to host the 2036 Olympic Games
- Use sports as a tool for economic, social and cultural development
Built on Five Strategic Pillars:
- Excellence on the Global Stage – Structured athlete development, sports science integration and high-performance training
- Sports for Economic Development – Sports startups, adventure tourism, beach sports hubs, local equipment manufacturing
- Social Inclusion – Focus on SC/ST youth, women, rural and tribal talent and persons with disabilities
- Mass Participation – Making sports a daily habit; every child plays, every village competes
- Integration with Education – In line with NEP 2020; trained PE teachers, school-based competitions, college leagues
Key Innovations:
- Talent Identification at Grassroots: Structured scouting from panchayat to elite level
- Inclusion of OCI Players: Indian-origin athletes abroad can now represent India, reversing a 2008 restriction
- Performance-Linked Funding: Sports federations will be funded based on results, not relationships
- Sports Science Push: Nutrition, biomechanics, injury management and mental health are central
- Public-Private Partnerships: Corporates and startups encouraged to build infrastructure, league and training modules
- Cultural & Global Diplomacy: Sports to be used as a foreign policy and diaspora engagement tool
Why It Matters Now?
India has historically suffered not from lack of talent—but from lack of systems. Khelo Bharat Niti seeks to change that.
It recognizes sport as a serious contributor to GDP, national morale, employment and health. It embeds sport into public policy. It treats the athlete as a national resource—and invests accordingly.
What Success Will Depend On?
Policies are only as good as their execution. Khelo Bharat Niti must overcome:
- Fragmentation across ministries and federations
- Resistance to accountability in sports bodies
- Urban bias in facilities and funding
- Lack of continuity across political cycles
The proposed performance metrics and time-bound evaluations must be implemented rigorously. Only then can the policy become more than a statement of intent.
India’s Sporting Moment Has Arrived
From Milkha Singh running without shoes to Neeraj Chopra dominating the world stage, from the colonial fields of 1948 to the Olympic ambitions of 2036, India’s sports journey has come a long way. But this is the first time the country has a comprehensive, forward-looking and inclusive sports policy.
Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 is not just about medals—it’s about national character. It’s about young girls in rural Jharkhand training for the podium. It’s about para-athletes getting the same respect and facilities as others. It’s about sports as health, diplomacy, economy and unity.
This time, India is not merely preparing for the next Games. It’s building a sports ecosystem for the next generation. One where every child has a ground, every talent has a pathway and every athlete has a nation behind them.
If implemented with the seriousness it deserves, this policy could make India not just a sporting nation, but a sports superpower.
And this time, we’re not playing catch-up. We’re playing to lead. The real race begins now.
About the Author
Mr. Hridaya Mohan (hridayamohan@yahoo.co.in) is a regular Columnist with a renowned Indian daily “The Hitavada”, “Bharat Neeti Media” and some other newspapers / magazines internationally. Superannuated as Executive Director, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), he is Senior Adviser, Metallon Holdings Pvt. Ltd. presently. He headed SAIL office at Beijing as Chief Representative (China & Mongolia) for six years. He has published and presented seventeen papers globally. Recipient of “Sir M Visvesvaraya Gold Medal”for one of his papers, “Benchmarking of Maintenance Practices in Steel Industry” from The Institution of Engineers (India), he was awarded with “Scroll of Honour” for the excellent contributions to Engineering fraternity from IE(I), Bhilai, “Jawahar Award” for leadership excellence in SAIL and “Supply Chain Leader – 2017” award from IIMM.
