Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 15, 2026) said India is a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics and to ensure that the country also has a strong presence in the mega-event, a nationwide talent hunt would be launched to identify prospects in the age group of 5 to 15.
Addressing the country from the ramparts of Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Mr. “India is making space for itself in the world of sports. We hear our national anthem frequently and see our tri-colour going up very often. TOPS has achieved great success. The talent hunt programme will rely heavily on Artificial Intelligence which will be used for fitness battery tests, which are a series of exercises to measure cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, speed and agility, flexibility and balance along with movement. “Not every school-going kid would know his sporting capabilities or take to sport naturally. Right now, the government’s Khelo India Talent Development (KITD) scheme focuses on identifying young sporting talent at all levels. The programme provides formative training and creates a pathway to Khelo India Academies, National Camps, and other elite sports schemes.
Modi said the government’s flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which was launched in 2014, has been a major success in providing support to athletes. Earlier reporting noted: India targets 2036 Olympics as PM Narendra Modi plans talent hunt for sports where nation lacks presence and performance Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only reiterated India’s interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort in New Delhi on Saturday, but also announced a nationwide sports talent hunt. Earlier reporting noted: PM Modi warns of weaponisation of resources, sea routes; urges energy self-reliance Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 15, 2026) warned that the weaponisation of resources and strategic sea routes by some countries posed risks to India’s economic security, calling for greater self-reliance in energy to reduce the country’s vulnerability to overseas supplies.
Whether it is Khelo India Games, University Games, Beach Games, Winter Games, or sports training, sports medicine, sports nutrition, India is moving ahead at great pace,” he said. But if we are able to take our talent hunt nationwide through basic tests to understand individual capabilities, we might find kids who are good at sport but don’t yet know about it,” a government source had told PTI in January. The Prime Minister also said that India should aspire to host more international events. “Duniya ke sports events Bharat mein kyu na hon? (Why should global events not be held in India),” he asked. Modi said India needed to strengthen domestic capacity in critical areas, including energy and minerals, as geopolitical tensions increasingly exposed the risks of dependence on external sources.
Earlier reporting noted: Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 80th Independence Day , Mr.
