In a passionate plea for revitalizing Indian sports, Anurag Singh Thakur, ex-Sports Minister and current parliamentarian, demanded that seasoned former players be coaxed back into active roles as coaches and mentors. This move, he argued, would prevent the squandering of a precious national asset currently lost in bureaucratic paperwork.
Addressing an enthusiastic audience of sports journalists at the SJFI’s Golden Jubilee event, organized by DSJA at New Delhi’s Constitution Club, Thakur painted a vivid picture of untapped potential. ‘Many quota-based employees from sports backgrounds are stuck in offices, when they could be shaping the next generation of champions,’ he remarked on the conference’s second day.
Thakur pushed for analytics-powered athlete development, advocating comprehensive tracking from early careers. Such systems would spot talent swiftly and provide tailored guidance, ensuring no prodigy slips through the cracks.
He made a direct appeal to state authorities, reminding them of their primary jurisdiction over sports. To achieve ambitious targets like Olympic glory, states need to ramp up funding, build superior facilities, and hire additional coaching staff. ‘Future triumphs depend on state-level commitment,’ he emphasized.
Stressing accountability, Thakur called for tangible results from institutional policies. Evaluations must assess whether recommendations translate into real achievements. The conference also spotlighted industry contributions, with awards to figures like Hero MotoCorp’s Shivalika Chaddha Malik, Krafton India’s Manwa Sudarshan Hunswadkar, and Artsmith CEO Udyta Dutta, recognizing their role in advancing sports infrastructure and promotion.