Indian sports is often discussed through the narrow prism of medals how many were won, in which discipline, and what they mean for the next Olympic cycle.
But a recent panel discussion at Jio Institute at 2nd Indian Sports Management Conference 2025 on sports pathways, governance, education, and inclusion made one thing abundantly clear, medals are outcomes, not foundations. If India truly wants to emerge as a sporting nation, the conversation must shift decisively towards systems, ethics, and long-term athlete development .
At the heart of the discussion was a recurring theme: pathways. Unlike professions such as medicine or engineering, where the route from education to employment is clearly defined, sport in India still lacks a universally understood roadmap. Young athletes often rely on fragmented advice, inconsistent competition exposure, and personal sacrifice rather than structured progression. This absence of clarity places enormous pressure on national sports bodies, state associations, and educational institutions to act not as gatekeepers, but as enablers.
The central role of national sports federations
National sports federations were described as being “at the heart of the ecosystem.” Their responsibility extends beyond selecting national teams or running elite camps. They are expected to professionalize district and state bodies, standardize processes, and create transparent systems that reward long-term development rather than short-term success.
One of the strongest arguments made was the need for data-driven governance. Without knowing who is playing, where they are playing, and under what conditions, federations are effectively operating blind. Attempts to digitize athlete databases, competition records, and certifications have begun, but resistance at district and state levels remains high. The issue, as panelists acknowledged, is not technology it is trust, awareness, and patience. Until stakeholders understand how data benefits them, compliance will remain slow.
Para sport and the challenge of classification
The discussion on para sport revealed just how complex inclusion truly is. Unlike able-bodied sport, para sport begins with classification identifying athletes, categorizing disabilities, and then mapping them to appropriate events. This foundational step alone determines whether an athlete even has a viable competitive pathway.
India’s para sporting journey has evolved dramatically since the early 2000s, when awareness and government support were minimal. The breakthrough came after India’s first Paralympic gold medal, which fundamentally altered public and institutional perception. Today, accessibility, user-friendly infrastructure, and high-performance support are part of the conversation but the panel was candid in admitting that this progress took nearly two decades of persistence.
A key insight was the danger of viewing para sport through a lens of sympathy rather than performance. True inclusion, the panel argued, comes only when Paralympians are treated as high-performance athletes, not beneficiaries of charity.
Education and sport: an uneasy balance
Perhaps the most critical fault line in Indian sport lies between education and athletic ambition. While schools and colleges understand academic pathways well, sport remains an afterthought often accommodated, but rarely integrated.
The panel highlighted how university systems abroad contribute a significant share of Olympic medals, while India’s university sector is still playing catch-up. Initiatives like the Khelo India University Games have helped, but trial-and-error remains the norm. The lack of flexible attendance policies, internal assessment support, and grace systems continues to push athletes out after the under-19 level.
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Encouragingly, reforms such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and hybrid learning models have opened new possibilities. Online examinations and flexible curricula now allow athletes to pursue both academics and sport without having to abandon one for the other. Yet, panelists stressed that policy alone is not enough compassion and awareness at the institutional level are equally vital.
Among the most compelling success stories discussed was the rise of women in Indian sport. From fencing to rugby, targeted investment has produced tangible results not just medals, but participation growth and cultural change.
The story of Bhavani Devi, India’s first Olympic fencer, illustrated the power of role models. When she began, fencing was virtually invisible in India, with barely 50–60 national-level participants. Today, that number has grown to nearly 3,000. One athlete, one opportunity, and one sustained belief transformed an entire sport.
The data reinforces this impact. Of India’s 20 Olympic medals, eight have been won by women an extraordinary return given historical underinvestment. The message from the panel was unambiguous: investing in women does not just produce champions; it builds ecosystems.
Grassroots infrastructure: access before excellence
Another major takeaway was the emphasis on grassroots infrastructure over marquee stadiums. India’s population does not reside in metropolitan cities alone, and elite complexes in urban centers cannot compensate for the lack of basic playing spaces in districts and villages.
Low-cost, standardized sports complexes at the taluka and district level were highlighted as a scalable solution. By simplifying designs and reducing bureaucratic delays, governments have been able to dramatically increase usage rates. Athletics described aptly as the “mother of all sports” has benefited the most, as accessible running spaces instantly draw participation.
The principle is simple: before producing champions, get people playing.
Failure, patience, and the long road to success
One of the most refreshing elements of the panel was its honesty about failure. Sport, by nature, is a space where failure outnumbers success. Projects collapse, athletes drop out, and ideas take years sometimes decades to bear fruit.
In para sport, early funding efforts often relied on friends and family rather than corporate support. CSR interest followed only after results became visible. The lesson, shared candidly, was persistence: people rarely support ideas at conception, but they will rally once belief becomes tangible.
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This perspective also extended to parents. Unlike academics, where progress is measured in predictable milestones, sport demands patience over 8–15 years. Expecting state or national titles within months reflects a misunderstanding of athlete development and often leads to burnout.
Ethics, integrity, and redefining success
Finally, the panel returned to first principles: ethics. Winning at any cost was firmly rejected as a dangerous mindset. Integrity, transparency, and data were identified as the three pillars on which Indian sport must stand.
The call was not for instant Olympic domination, but for acceptance that India remains a work in progress. Until the country consistently wins double-digit gold medals, complacency has no place. Compassion towards athletes especially those balancing education, livelihood, and training was presented not as a concession, but as a necessity.
The panel made one thing unmistakably clear: India does not lack talent. What it lacks is coherence. A coherent pathway from school to university, from district to nation, from participation to excellence. If federations commit to data, institutions to flexibility, governments to access, and society to patience, medals will follow. Not as miracles, but as inevitabilities.
Until then, the real work lies not on podiums, but in classrooms, playgrounds, and policy rooms where the future of Indian sport is quietly being decided.
