Maharashtra is investing in sports infrastructure with new centres of excellence and development hubs to support its athletes and contribute to India's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced the establishment of 25 centres of excellence and 96 sports development hubs to ensure maximum participation of athletes from the state in the 2036 Olympic Games.
Presenting the 2026-27 Budget in the state assembly, Fadnavis confirmed that eight high-performance centres for 12 disciplines, including athletics, badminton, and wrestling, are already operational, and four more are proposed to be started.
The chief minister said that India is striving to host the 2036 Olympic Games, and the state has a mission to ensure that the maximum number of athletes from the state participate in the prestigious meet.
He said the state government plans to set up 25 divisional-level centres of excellence and 96 sports quality development centres.
Necessary funds have been allocated for the development of sports complexes at the state, division, district and taluka levels, he added.