In a landmark development for India’s Olympic ambitions, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed interest in adopting two to three Olympic sports as part of the Sports Ministry’s initiative to establish specialized Olympic training centres across the country.
According to a senior Sports Ministry official, this initiative aims to identify and groom 100 to 200 talented athletes per sport, across various age groups, in preparation for the upcoming Olympic cycles. These Olympic centres will each focus on a single discipline, ensuring targeted and high-performance training environments for elite athletes.
“Today, there was a meeting of the Sports Minister with 58 corporate stakeholders. They expressed interest in the initiative. The likes of the BCCI are ready to take care of all the expenses of two or three sports,” the source told The Indian Express.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla has reportedly shown enthusiasm for the project, assuring full financial support from the cricket board without any burden on the government. Interestingly, sports with similarities to cricket—such as baseball—have been cited as potential candidates for BCCI’s involvement.
This isn’t the BCCI’s first foray into Olympic support. Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the board had donated Rs 8.5 crore to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to aid India’s preparation for the Games.
Current Training Infrastructure and the Push for Expansion
India currently has 23 National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) operated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). However, only three of them are dedicated to a single sport:
- Rohtak (Boxing)
- Delhi (Swimming)
- Delhi (Shooting)
With the new initiative, the ministry hopes to bridge the gap in training infrastructure for other Olympic disciplines and expand the talent pool significantly.
Policy Shift on OCI Athletes Under Discussion
In a parallel effort to enhance India’s international sporting competitiveness, the Sports Ministry is also considering a policy review that may allow Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) to represent the country in international events—particularly in sports where India is underperforming, like football.
Currently, OCI cardholders are ineligible to represent India under a policy introduced by former Sports Minister MS Gill in 2008. The decision, rooted in promoting home-grown talent, excluded Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and OCI holders from international participation despite their eligibility to live and work in India.
However, officials now believe it’s time to revisit that stance.
“We are looking to introduce a scheme where we allow OCI to represent the country, especially in sports where we are weak, such as football. There is no harm in reconsidering because we want the best of our talent to represent us,” the official added.
Looking Ahead
With the BCCI potentially funding elite training for Olympic sports and discussions around global Indian talent intensifying, the Sports Ministry’s holistic approach could reshape India’s Olympic future. The collaboration between government bodies, corporate giants, and India’s richest sporting federation may finally bring the much-needed structural uplift to disciplines that have long lived in the shadows of cricket.
