National Sports Fed to strengthen pipeline of champions at Asian Games review meeting

Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday called on National Sports Federations (NSFs) to take greater responsibility for India’s sporting performance, following the nation’s 4th place finish at the 2026 Asian Games. Interacting with a plethora of NSF heads, the Hon’ble Minister reiterated the need to work with further synergy to sustain India’s sporting excellence.

Dr. Mandaviya stressed that India needs a continuous pipeline of champions rather than relying on a handful of medal winners. “How long will Mirabai Chanu alone keep winning medals for us? We need to produce 10 more Mirabai Chanus. 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,” the Hon’ble Sports Minister said, underlining the need to identify and develop athletes who can sustain India’s medal-winning ambitions across sporting cycles.

The conclave saw Vineel Krishna, Joint Secretary (Khelo India), present a discussion on the convergence of Khelo India Scheme with NSFs, while Col. N.S. Johal, CEO (TOPS), gave a performance review of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the review of preparations for LA Olympics 2028.

Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Smt. Raksha Khadse called for all federations to align their work with the vision of the Khelo India Mission. “Every NSF must ensure that state and district-level federations are also in place and functioning effectively

Secretary (Sports) Hari Ranjan Rao mentioned that India must aim to finish among the top three at the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, while the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which India is scheduled to host, should be treated as a major national challenge. (UPDATED ON 15TH OCTOBE 2026)