India's Olympic dream: Mandaviya eyes Top 5 spot by 2047

Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said target has been set to position India among the top five Olympics medal-winning countries by 2047, when it celebrates the centenary of its independence.

In order to achieve this target, the country needs a talent-pool of world-level coaches and training, the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister told reporters here after taking part in the 10th Convocation ceremony of Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) in Gwalior.

"I am happy to be in Gwalior as it is the workplace of late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia. The country is marching ahead in the sports sector. When India hosts the Olympics in 2036, it should rank among the top 10 nations in sports," Mandaviya said.

"And when the nation celebrates 100 years of independence in 2047, the country should rank among the top five countries in the field of sports," he said.

"For achieving this target, the country needs a talent pool of world-level coaches and training and the LNIPE in Gwalior is playing a major role in it," the minister added.

The country needs good coaches, training, and sporting talent should be identified and given opportunities, he said.

Good coaches are being groomed in LNIPE by offering diploma, graduation, post-graduation and PhD degrees to them, and they will play a major role in nurturing the new generation in the sports sector, according to him.

Addressing the convocation ceremony earlier, Mandaviya said it was a matter of pride that he was taking part in a programme at the institute that is named after Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, who started the battle for freedom and fought against the British, and stood as a symbol of valour.

He said that as a sports minister he has set the target of taking India among the top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and among top five by 2047.

Physical education teachers should have the feeling of "nation first" and resolve to make the country a developed, he said.

Degrees were offered to 121 students during the convocation ceremony.

Mandaviya also inaugurated a 400-bed capacity hostel and a digital studio on the occasion.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed Mandaviya on his arrival at the Gwalior airport for taking part in the convocation ceremony.