How refocusing on grassroots development could fuel India’s aspirations to excel in the Olympics

Sports development in India has seen a change in the recent past, with a slew of government and private initiatives bringing the focus to a model more focused on grassroots improvement. The evolution has a long-term vision that is in sync with India’s aspirations to host the 2036 Olympics.

It is a known fact that any thriving nation in the sporting world adopts an approach through which they lay a formidable foundation that develops young athletes from an early age. It not only creates a bank of sustainable talent but also develops a culture of competitive sports, wherein organisations across different spectrums work towards recognising and nurturing players, giving them competitive match experience, with proper access to training and affiliated support.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had stressed upon this during his visit to India in a FIFA initiative in 2023. Wenger had said that players in Europe and India have the same level of footballing knowhow and exposure at the age of two. But, that becomes starkly different when they are five years old, which is all down to the groundwork laid for sports across different disciplines.

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The Dream Sports Championship (DSC) is an example in the footballing space of a competition that aims to resolve the aforementioned bottleneck. Initially launched as an Under-17 national-level football tournament in partnership with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), DSC has now expanded to include a girls’ Under-17 tournament. “The championship offers opportunities for competitive and quality match practice to youth athletes while helping AIFF scout for potential talent for Team India,” Dream Sports Foundation’s special projects manager Navin Fernandes said.

“The Dream Sports Foundation is focused on grassroots sports development and creating sustainable opportunities for young athletes across India. The foundation partners with National Sports Federations, State Governments, and private sports academies to identify and nurture future sporting heroes,” he added.

Off late, government bodies and private organisations have shown a tendency to gradually collaborate to bridge gaps in funding, infrastructure, and talent development, which step-by-step tick off gaps in India’s larger sporting ecosystem. DSF’s partnerships with institutions like the Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation, Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, Dilip Vengsarkar Foundation, and Karnam Malleswari Foundation are examples of this model.

“Public-private partnerships are key to developing India’s sports ecosystem,” Fernandes noted. “In a significant move to enhance grassroots sports, DSF has also partnered with the Mumbai School Sports Association to support their competitions and create a platform for identifying and nurturing future elite athletes.”

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) have taken also been reaching out to  develop India’s first integrated Athlete Management System, which was integrated with the National Sports Repository System in March 2024. Such initiatives show how technology and data-driven solutions can optimise athlete performance, streamline training, and create an efficient pathway to elite sports.

While cricket remains the dominant sport in India, the focus has increasingly shifted towards other disciplines. A structured and flexible approach is necessary for identifying and nurturing talent across various sports, recognising that each sport has its own complexities and demands.

“At the foundation, we have taken a data-driven approach while identifying which sports to support. Each sport has its own complexities, and we cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach,” Fernandes said. The organisation has shortlisted 13 sports for targeted interventions, many of which align with priority sports identified by MYAS.

With India aiming to host the Olympics in 2036, a decade-long approach towards revamping the country’s sporting structure could help in furthering the reach towards maximising India’s medal prospects over a long-term perspective.