From Village Grounds To Olympic Podiums: India Reaching New Heights Of Sporting Success

George Orwell, in a 1945 essay, famously described sporting competitions as "war minus the shooting." Though his intent behind the phrase was that of cynicism, it cannot be denied that sports have long been recognised as a powerful medium for fostering national unity and pride without causing grievous harm.

Sport is one of the rare forces that can make a billion hearts beat as one. We have seen in the case of India how sporting events bring people together, transcending regional, linguistic, and economic barriers. Many moments of achievement on the field have brought the nation to a standstill, then erupted in celebratory emotions.

One of those iconic achievers was the wizard of hockey, Major Dhyan Chand, in whose honour we observe the National Sports Day. Thankfully, today’s India is witnessing many more achievers adding to the national pride through their grit, discipline, and sheer willpower. When Neeraj Chopra sent his javelin soaring into the Tokyo sky, he was not just winning gold; he was rewriting history for a billion people, proving that a boy from a small village can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.

The roar that echoed when Chopra won gold in Tokyo was not just for an athlete; it was for a nation rediscovering its belief in itself. When Mirabai Chanu lifted her way to Olympic silver, she carried the hopes of every Indian daughter who dreams beyond limitation. 

These were not merely medals; they were mirrors of a nation’s spirit, where personal struggle transforms into collective pride. The United States asserts its pride through Olympic tallies in athletics, China through gymnastics and table tennis, and Brazil through football.

India, too, is no longer content with participation alone. We are here to compete, to excel, and to lead, and recent victories are only the beginning of a much larger story, one that is aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, where the government has made sports a national priority, setting the bold goal of placing India among the top five medal-winning nations in the decades ahead.

This is a structured mission to ensure that every young Indian, from villages to metros, finds opportunity in sport and carries the nation’s pride onto the world stage. The following are the facets of this mission:

1. Khelo India Scheme: The flagship platform for spotting and nurturing young talent through the Youth Games, University Games, Winter Games, and Para Games. It is a structured pathway for young athletes to transition from interschool competitions to national and international sporting events.

2. KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification): A nationwide scouting network already active through 50 Talent Assessment Centres, designed to evaluate over 20 lakh young athletes. Elite athletes are supported through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which provides coaching, diet, and exposure at par with global standards.

3. The Prime Minister’s call for the Fit India Movement has taken fitness and physical activity into schools, workplaces, and communities, ensuring sport is not just an event but a way of life.

4. Institutionally, the government has invested in National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), which serve as residential hubs for world-class training, and established the National Sports University in Manipur, the first of its kind to focus on sports education, science, and research. 

5. Simultaneously, indigenous games like Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Gatka, and Yoga have been given official backing, while para-athletes have gained recognition through the exclusive Khelo India Para Games. 

Together, these steps ensure that the sporting ecosystem is inclusive, modern, and rooted in India’s cultural strength. Most important, the legal foundation of sports governance has been overhauled with the passing of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. This landmark law introduces a transparent and democratic structure for sports bodies, mandating recognised national committees, athlete and ethics panels, a National Sports Board, and even a National Sports Tribunal for fair dispute resolution.

By combining mass participation, elite support, and robust governance, sports have moved from the margins to the mainstream and are celebrated as a symbol of national strength.

The results of this renewed focus are already visible. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, India recorded its best-ever medal tally of 7, including the historic javelin gold by Chopra.

The Tokyo Paralympics were even more remarkable, with India winning 19 medals — again the best-ever medal tally.

The momentum continued at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where India secured a record 107 medals, crossing the 100-mark for the first time in its history.

Behind these numbers lie stories that define the spirit of a rising nation.  Avani Lekhara, a young woman from Jaipur who was paralysed in a car accident, scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win Paralympic gold in shooting. Nikhat Zareen, from a modest home in Telangana, is now a world boxing champion, inspiring countless young girls to step into the ring.

These various victories have reshaped the way ordinary Indians view sports. Medals are no longer exceptions to be celebrated once a decade; they are becoming regular markers of progress. Children today grow up believing that an Olympic podium is within their reach; parents see sports as a career; and communities rally behind their local champions.  

National Sports Day is not just about remembering a legend like Major Dhyan Chand; it is about recognising the place of sports in shaping India’s destiny. From the muddy fields of our villages to the podiums of Tokyo and Hangzhou, India’s journey shows that when a nation invests in play, it invests in pride, unity, and resilience.

Every medal won is not just a victory for an athlete; it is a statement of who we are as a nation. And today, that statement is clear: India is rising, and its athletes are carrying the tricolour to new heights.