The Indian sports landscape is poised for a significant transformation with the recent approval of the National Sports Policy 2025, also known as Khelo Bharat Niti 2025. This ambitious policy aims to propel India into becoming a global sporting powerhouse, fostering a culture of sports excellence and broad-based participation. Veteran tennis player Rohan Bopanna has lauded the initiative, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the nation's approach to sports development.

Key Pillars of Khelo Bharat Niti 2025

The Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 is built upon five key pillars, each designed to contribute to a holistic transformation of the Indian sports ecosystem:

• Nation's Excellence on the Global Stage: This pillar focuses on enhancing infrastructure, talent identification, and international competitiveness to achieve significant achievements in international sporting events, including the Olympics 2036. Strengthening the sporting culture and ecosystem from the block level to the national level is a key focus.
• Sports for Economic Development: This aspect emphasizes leveraging sports to boost related industries such as tourism, manufacturing, and sports technology.
• Sports for Social Development: Promoting inclusivity, health, and education through sports to foster societal cohesion is the core of this pillar. It focuses on reduced barriers for participation of underrepresented population groups, promotion of indigenous sports and games, and underrepresented population talent development initiatives.
• Sports – A People's Movement: This pillar seeks to engage communities in physical activities, making sports a cultural cornerstone and promoting health and well-being. Block-level sports programs will be established to promote mass participation, targeting schools, local clubs, and community centers.
• Integration with Education: Aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this pillar integrates sports with education to nurture holistic development and life skills in students and youth, promoting both academic and athletic excellence.

Bopanna's Perspective

Rohan Bopanna, a celebrated figure in Indian tennis, has consistently voiced his support for initiatives that promote sports development at the grassroots level. He believes that hosting events like the Khelo India University Games will not only benefit the host state but also create a positive ripple effect throughout the region's sports ecosystem. Bopanna has emphasized the importance of providing young athletes with opportunities to compete and gain valuable experience, which will motivate them to pursue excellence in their respective disciplines. He also acknowledges that representing and winning medals for one's state at the national level is a prestigious achievement that instills confidence in athletes.

Transformative Potential

The Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 envisions a comprehensive approach to sports development, starting from the grassroots level and extending to the national stage. The policy emphasizes the importance of community engagement, talent identification, and infrastructure development to create a vibrant sports culture across the country. By integrating sports with education, the policy aims to promote a balanced growth of students, fostering both academic and athletic excellence.

Looking Ahead

With the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 in place, India is poised to witness a significant shift in its sporting landscape. The policy's focus on grassroots development, coupled with its emphasis on excellence at the international level, is expected to create a robust ecosystem that nurtures talent and promotes a culture of sports participation. As India strives to become a global sporting powerhouse, the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 represents a crucial step towards realizing that vision.