Page 18 - NIS English 16-31 August 2025

Khelta Bharat,
COVER STORY Khilta Bharat
National Sports Policy 2025
Establishing India as a
sports superpower: not
just win medals
n The performance of Indian athletes on international
sports forums has been a matter of concern for a long
time. There was a lack of a strong sports ecosystem,
where talents are discovered and honed from the
grassroots level itself… and along with this, a strong
political will was required so that sports could be
prepared as a great career option.
n On the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, a special initiative was taken to improve the
performance of Indian players on international forums
with the formation of a task force from the year 2016.
n Fit India, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, and the
National Talent Search, excellent sports infrastructure
and an ecosystem were created from the ground level
itself. The result was also visible in the performance of
Indian players.
n Now, taking this vision forward, the National Sports
Policy 2025 has been prepared. The new policy will
replace the National Sports Policy 2001. The aim is
not just to win medals but to establish India as a global
sports power by linking sports with education,
economy, and gender equality.
16 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || August 16-31, 2025
Haryana. Neeraj, who was well-built from
his early days, was encouraged to join the
gym by his father due to his eating habits.
The gym nestled in the Sports Stadium in
Panipat was the place where Neeraj saw
the javelin for the first time, touched it,
and threw it, which later on took him to
new heights in the field of sports. Neeraj
says, “When I saw and threw the javelin
for the first time, I decided that I had to
take up this sport.” His coach, Jitendra
Jaglan, also says, “When I saw him throw
the javelin, I realized that he has some
extraordinary ability.” Arjun Award winner
Neeraj Chopra, who rose from a small
village near Panipat to become famous
all over the world, became the Olympic
hope of 140 crore Indians. He also created
history by winning the gold medal in the
Tokyo Olympics.
Not only sons, but when the ambitions
of India’s daughters are encouraged, they
have the courage to make the country
proud. Manu Bhaker, a resident of Goriya
village in Jhajjar district of Haryana, is an
example of this. Manu is among those
players who were identified through KIRTI
(Khelo India Rising Talent Identification).
She came into the limelight by winning the
gold medal at the age of 15 in the Khelo
India School Games held in Delhi in the
year 2018. At the age of 16, Manu became
the youngest Indian to win a gold medal in
the ISSF World Cup by defeating a two-time
winner. Now, 23-year-old Manu Bhaker
has become a prominent face among
the well-known players of the Indian
sports world. Manu has also created
history by winning two medals in the
recent Paris Olympics.
The journey of athletes who
become the pride of the nation
at the Olympics is never easy. The
support from the nation to harness
the talent, dedication, determina-
tion, and sportsmanship of these
players makes them a champion. The
sportsman spirit promotes accepting
others with openness in family, social,