India will arrive in Bahrain this week with one of its largest youth delegations ever 357 members, including 222 athletes across multiple disciplines to compete in the 3rd Asian Youth Games from October 22 to 31, 2025.
Led by Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt as Chef de Mission, this contingent embodies India’s expanding youth sports infrastructure and its long-term vision under Mission 2036 a national roadmap aimed at transforming India into a consistent Olympic powerhouse.
The 222 Indian athletes competing in Bahrain represent the top layer of a pyramid built through Khelo India, SAI training centres, and private academies. The delegation spans core Olympic sports athletics, swimming, boxing, wrestling, badminton, and judo and new disciplines like 3×3 basketball, teqball, and esports.
This is India’s first multi-sport youth delegation since the pandemic years, and its strategic importance goes beyond medals. As a continental qualifier for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics, the Games provide the first benchmark for the next generation of Indian Olympians.
Learning from the System
India’s participation is structured around exposure and learning. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have identified the event as a data-gathering exercise measuring technical readiness, physical profiles, and psychological performance.
“This is about testing systems, not just athletes,” said an IOA official during the send-off ceremony in Delhi. “We’re looking at how effectively our youth programs translate into international competitiveness.” The Games will provide valuable insights for federations preparing athletes for Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.
Yogeshwar Dutt, an Olympic bronze medallist from London 2012, leads the team with a focus on mentorship. “These kids are the future. We’re not putting pressure on them for medals,” he said. “The idea is to help them experience what it means to compete under the Tricolour at a continental level.”
This approach aligns with India’s evolving philosophy building long-term resilience and exposure before expecting podiums.
India Among Asia’s Elite
India’s 222 athletes make it the second-largest contingent behind China’s 293. It’s a clear signal of ambition. Other notable delegations include Taiwan (151), Bahrain (204), and Kyrgyzstan (145).
For India, this is a chance to assess progress in the youth categories that underpin its Olympic core particularly athletics, badminton, and combat sports. With the Games featuring 259 medal events, India will seek balanced representation across as many sports as possible.
In practical terms, the Bahrain Games are part of India’s athlete development staircase:
Khelo India → Youth Nationals → Asian Youth Games → Youth Olympics → Senior International Circuit.
The Sports Authority of India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) will monitor performances closely, integrating promising athletes into elite programs by 2026. This continuity, officials believe, is what separates successful Olympic nations from sporadic performers.
A Platform for Visibility
The Games also mark India’s emergence as a visible player in youth sports diplomacy. With federations in badminton, athletics, and wrestling already running structured youth circuits, Bahrain 2025 offers a chance to project depth and direction. India’s participation is not symbolic it’s strategic. Every entry has been selected through data-backed trials, ensuring competitive merit.
Once the Games conclude on October 31, the focus will shift to assessment and transition. Who adapts to pressure? Which sports need stronger support? These questions will shape funding and planning for 2026–28. In Bahrain, India may not top the medal table, but that’s not the goal. The real victory will be in how many young athletes return home believing they can reach Dakar, Los Angeles and maybe, someday, an Olympic podium on home soil in 2036.
