We don’t even participate in half of Olympic sports; need to improve: PM Modi

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In a virtual address to hundreds of athletes, students and volunteers who gathered at various locations for the Khelo India Dialogue, PM Modi said his vision for sports is not merely about winning medals but making it an integral part of the nation-building process. Photo credit: X/@NarendraModi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (August 27, 2026) said India's Olympic performance can improve only if the country manages to increase its participation in those events where it has not participated in the past.

In a virtual address to hundreds of athletes, students and volunteers who gathered at various locations for the Khelo India Dialogue, the PM said his vision for sports is not merely about winning medals but making it an integral part of the nation-building process.

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

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, India participated in 16 of the 32 sports which were a part of the Games roster.

"...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.

In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Mr. Modi had announced a nationwide talent hunt for children in the age group of 5 to 15 to ensure that India's participation improves at the 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.

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "We often hear that the spirit of sportsmanship is essential for a healthy society, a sound family system, and a better work culture. And it is very difficult to imbibe this spirit without stepping onto the sports field. Sports… pic.twitter.com/RszYV2RzGU

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