Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said India is aiming to host the 2036 Olympics and finish in the top 10 in the medals tally.

Speaking at the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Yuva Connect’ initiative at SP College here, the Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister said the aim was to make India among the top five sports nations by 2047.

“In Viksit Bharat, special impetus needs to be given to the sports sector as we aim to develop ourselves in every sector. By 2047, our goal is to be among the top five countries in sports. To achieve this goal and ensure we do not miss the 2047 opportunity, we must create world-class sportspersons,” he said.

“To develop such talent, we initiated Khelo India. With the help of Khelo India, young sportspersons should get the opportunities to play. We will have to identify sports talent and provide them with the necessary facilities. These talented individuals, in the coming days, will become athletes like Swapnil Kusale,” he added.

Shooter Kusale, who won a bronze medal in the recently concluded Paris Olympics, was present at the event.

“We undertook a project named KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification), through which more than one lakh talented sportspersons have been identified. From this pool, further talented individuals were selected and provided with special assistance under Targeted Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS),” Mandaviya said.

Under TOPS, selected sportspersons receive training, nutritional support, and other necessary facilities as well as international exposure apart from best coaches, he said.

“This time, India won six medals (in the Paris Olympics), but eight sportspersons secured fourth place. The athletes who secured fourth place will improve their performance and aim for a spot in the top three in the next Olympics. India won 29 medals in the Paralympics, up from 19 in the previous edition,” he said.

“We aim to host the 2036 Olympics in India and we plan to be in the top 10 in the medals tally,” he said.

The ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Yuva Connect’ was launched from Pune on the occasion.

Under this initiative, interactions will be held with students of various colleges of Maharashtra to guide them on their responsibility towards achieving the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has carefully planned for a developed India. Youth-centric decisions have been taken in the budget to fulfil this target,” Mandaviya said.

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs Raksha Khadse urged students to register on ‘My Bharat Portal’ to contribute to a developed India.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)