In his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s goal of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games and emphasised the necessity of the nation’s increased participation in a greater variety of sports. Modi highlighted the government’s long-term goals for India’s athletic future when he declared, “We have resolved our aspiration to host the 2036 Olympic Games in India.” He emphasised that building a more robust athletic ecosystem should go hand in hand with hosting the Olympics.

In 2036, Modi urged more focus on sports where India is presently underrepresented or nonexistent. He noted that there is a great chance to increase India’s Olympic presence because a number of sports are yet mainly undiscovered by Indian athletes.

“Where India does not compete today, where India fails to qualify, and the events that have remained untouched, where nearly three-fourths of the sporting arena is waiting for us, India will now place strong emphasis on mastering them,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi’s comments reveal a broader goal to make India a more powerful athletic nation by spotting potential and funding fields outside of its conventional strengths. The long-term goal of the 2036 Olympics is anticipated to be the development of athletes, infrastructure, and knowledge across a wider range of sports.

On the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, Modi spoke to the nation from the Red Fort and stated that while the country’s athletic prowess is improving, it still has to increase its participation in Olympic events where it has historically had little to no representation.

The Prime Minister attributed the growth of India’s sporting ecosystem to programs including the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India Games, University Games, Winter Games, and Beach Games, as well as investments in sports infrastructure, coaching, sports medicine, and nutrition.

He added that opportunities outside of competitive athletics were being created by the sports industry.

If you cannot become a sportsperson, a huge space is opening up for the youth in the support system around sports. India’s performance in sports continues to improve, and we are moving ahead as strong contenders to host the 2036 Olympics. In 2030, we will host the Commonwealth Games,” Modi said.

He said that India’s Olympic aspirations needed to be expanded.

“There are around 40 sports and nearly 325-350 events at the Olympics. But you will be saddened to know that India has little or no presence in nearly two-thirds of these events. We do not qualify for many of them,” he noted.

“We have decided that, with the 2036 Olympics in mind, we will focus on those events in which India has traditionally had little or no presence. For this, we will launch a dedicated talent programme,” he added.