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Think big, stop in-fighting: Mandaviya tells sports federations
India won 85 medals at the Asian Games, after some misses, while some federations are mired in administrative battles
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Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya met representatives of National Sports Federations (NSFs) on Thursday to review the performances at the Asian Games. India finished fourth on the medals table with 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver, 37 bronze), well behind China (341), Japan (269) and South Korea (150).
Athletics emerged the top performer with 24 medals, although with only one gold, while shooters bagged 15 podium finishes. India had won 106 medals at 2023 Hangzhou, including 28 gold.
"It was an honest conversation. Most sports federations that had sent teams to the Asian Games were represented. The meeting lasted over two hours and the underlying issues in most NSFs was discussed," a sports ministry official told HT.
The minister, it is learned, also asked the NSFs to set aside their internal politics.
"The ministry wants NSFs to become solution-oriented and not problem-oriented. It was also noted that a lot of sports federations are riven by internal politics and the minister asked them to set aside their internal differences and work towards a common goal.
"We want the NSFs to think long term, which means better talent scouting and grooming. Also, going into major competitions, we want the medal estimations to be accurate and realistic. The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2030 Asian Games in Doha are our next targets," the official said.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) was represented by president Ajay Singh, but the strife within the body didn't come up for discussion, the official said.
"How long will Mirabai Chanu alone keep winning medals for us? We need to produce 10 more Mirabais. Every federation must take this responsibility seriously. We have to identify talent, provide the right training and create an environment in which athletes can progress to the highest level,” Mandaviya said.
Mandaviya emphasised the need for more sports psychologists, sports science experts and high-performance mental trainers to help athletes when they compete on major international stages. He also urged every NSF to introduce more competitions, strengthen athlete preparation, work with commitment and carry out honest assessment of gaps in performance and administration.
The minister of state for sports, Raksha Khadse called for the federations to align their work with the vision of Khelo India Mission. “Every NSF must ensure that state and district-level federations are also in place and functioning effectively. This work has to be undertaken wholeheartedly, alongside talent identification. Identifying talent is only one part of the process; athletes must also receive the correct training and support to reach their potential,” Khadse said.
The meeting saw Vineel Krishna, Joint Secretary (Khelo India), present a discussion on the convergence of Khelo India Scheme with NSFs. Col. NS Johal, CEO (TOPS), gave a performance review of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and a review of preparations for LA 2028. The revised Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) guidelines booklet was also inaugurated.
