India’s Olympic medal gap starts before the Games, PM Modi points at 'bitter truth'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India needs to expand its participation across Olympic sports to improve its medal tally, pointing to the country’s limited presence in disciplines where it has not competed in the past.

Addressing athletes, students and volunteers at the Khelo India Dialogue through video conference, Modi said India’s sports vision should go beyond winning medals and make sports part of the country’s nation-building effort.

"In the Olympics, there are so many different sports... Indian teams don't even participate in half of them," Modi said, calling it a "bitter truth".


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India competed in 16 of the 32 sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Modi said the country cannot compete for medals in events where it does not participate.

"...we don't even compete for a huge chunk of the medal tally. And this has been going on for decades. Other countries of the world win medals in those sports, and we don't even participate in them.

"To increase our medal tally, we will have to master these sports as well," he added.

Modi points to India’s geography

The prime minister said India should use its geographical advantages to build capabilities in sports such as surfing, sport climbing, water sports and winter sports.

"This time, from the Red Fort (on Independence Day), I have also drawn the nation's attention towards a very major challenge related to sports. This challenge is connected to the Olympics."

"India does not participate in many of the sports that are part of the Olympics. This has been the case for decades. In the 2012 Olympics, India participated in only 13 sports events, while we did not participate in more than 20 events."

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"For example, surfing and sport climbing. We have a huge coastline and vast mountainous regions. From water sports to winter sports, we have the demography and geography. But we do not have a strong presence in these sports. So, we have to look at the possibilities of developing the ecosystem for such sports and build it further," he continued.

Talent hunt for 2036 Olympics

Modi reiterated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics and said the government will conduct a nationwide talent hunt to identify young sporting talent.

He said the campaign will cover villages, cities and schools and target children between five and 15 years of age.

"We have to pay attention to our sons and daughters. Therefore, a talent hunt campaign will be conducted in every village, every city and every school to identify sporting talent among children aged five to 15," he said.

Modi had announced the talent hunt during his Independence Day address on August 15, saying India needs to identify and nurture young athletes who could compete at the 2036 Olympics.

"On this 15th August, I have presented India's sports vision for the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. When I talk about sports... it is not merely about winning medals.

"It is a campaign to integrate India's sporting power and youth power together in the construction of a developed India," he said.

He also said India will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

"We have decided that the Olympics 2036 should be held in India. In the disciplines in which India does not play or qualify, India will focus on these disciplines, and we will launch a talent hunt campaign," he added.