‘Sports Is About Quality Of Life, Not Just Winning Medals’: PM Modi At Khelo India Dialogue

Last Updated:August 27, 2026, 11:57 IST

PM Modi said the larger objective was to combine the country’s sporting strength with the energy of its youth and channel it towards nation-building.

Addressing young participants at the ‘Khelo India Dialogue’, PM Modi recalled his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s sporting vision goes beyond winning medals, describing sports as a means of bringing together the country’s sporting and youth power in the drive towards building a developed India.

Addressing young participants at the ‘Khelo India Dialogue’, PM Modi recalled his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, where he laid out his vision for India’s sporting future.

“On this 15th August, I have presented India’s sports vision for the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort,” PM Modi said.

“When I talk about sports… it is not limited merely to winning medals,” he added.

PM Modi said the larger objective was to combine the country’s sporting strength with the energy of its youth and channel it towards nation-building.

“It is a campaign to integrate India’s sporting power and youth power together in the construction of a developed India,” the Prime Minister said.

Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, speaking at the event, said the government under PM Modi had sought to make young people central to the country’s development ambitions.

“PM Modi, you have recognised the youth as both the bright present and the future of India, and have engaged them in the resolve to build a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” Mandaviya said.

He said that under PM Modi’s leadership, sports had been elevated from being viewed merely as an activity to becoming a national priority.

“To give concrete shape to this vision on the ground, you launched a powerful platform like ‘MY Bharat’ in 2023,” Mandaviya said.

According to the minister, more than 2.66 crore young people across the country have joined the platform and are contributing to nation-building alongside their careers.

The Khelo India Dialogue brings together young athletes and other stakeholders to discuss India’s sporting ecosystem, opportunities for young people and the role of sports in the country’s development.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasised the need to strengthen India’s sporting culture, infrastructure and participation, while encouraging young people to view sports as an avenue not only for competition but also for personal development and national progress.

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What is the ‘MY Bharat’ platform and its purpose?

MY Bharat is a platform launched by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2023. Its purpose is to combine India’s sporting strength with the energy of its youth and channel it towards nation-building. The platform aims to empower youth as a driving force for the country’s growth and to actively involve them in building a developed India.

Will sports become a national priority under PM Modi’s vision?

Under PM Modi’s leadership, sports have been elevated from an activity to a national priority. The larger objective is to combine India’s sporting strength with the energy of its youth to build a developed India.

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