India Must Build World-Class Coaches to Become Top-5 Sporting Nation by 2047: Experts at NSNIS Conference

Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said the conference reflects India’s commitment to sports excellence and grassroots transformation.

International experts and academicians participating in the two-day global conference “Grassroots to Greatness: Talent Identification and Athlete Development” at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala, have strongly emphasised the urgent need for India to develop high-quality coaches to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India emerging among the top-5 sporting nations in the world by 2047.

The conference, held under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has emerged as one of the country’s largest platforms for knowledge-sharing in sports science, talent nurturing and athlete development pathways.

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Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya: India Aims to Become a Global Sports Powerhouse

Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said the conference reflects India’s commitment to sports excellence and grassroots transformation.

“We are proud to host the 2nd International Conference on ‘Grassroots to Greatness – Talent Identification & Athlete Development’, continuing our commitment to sports excellence. India aims to become a global sports powerhouse. Initiatives like Khelo India are creating pathways for young athletes… Our focus is on grassroots development, sports infrastructure, and leveraging technology for athlete success.”

He added that the conference brings global experts together to share best practices in:

• Talent identification

• Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD)

• Sports science integration

• Technology-driven performance enhancement

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Over 600 Coaches, Athletes and Experts Participate

NSNIS Patiala, the apex national institute for sports coaching and sports science education under SAI, hosted a record turnout.

The conference saw participation from:

• 600+ aspiring coaches

• Eminent athletes

• Sports scientists and administrators

• Academicians and students

• 30+ renowned national and international experts

This made it one of India’s most significant gatherings focused on athlete development and coaching excellence.

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Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao Opens Conference

The conference was formally declared open by Hari Ranjan Rao (IAS), Secretary (Sports), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Director General, SAI.

He said the Sports Ministry is:

“Working tirelessly to create a robust sports ecosystem.”

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Global Experts Stress Coaching Upskilling Over Raw Talent

Prof. Nenad Trunic of Singidunum University, Serbia, thanked SAI for the opportunity and highlighted the value of international collaboration in solving challenges faced by Indian coaches.

FIBA basketball coach Richard Lee Brooks, youth coach for Slovakia’s national team, delivered a key message:

“One child may have innate talent, but how you nurture them and guide them is what will fetch medals at the international level.”

He stressed that upskilling coaches is more important than merely scouting talent.

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Leading International Experts in Attendance

Prominent global experts participating included:

• Farruh Ahmedov (Samarkand State University)

• Dr. Pinar Yaprak (Türkiye)

• Prof. Dr. Hanno Felder (Olympic Training Center)

• Dr. Martin Toms (University of Birmingham, UK)

Dr. Martin Toms noted:

“To support the journey of any Indian athlete, we must understand what goes behind creating champions… trainees here will become the next generation of coaches.”

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NSNIS Patiala: Asia’s Largest Sports Institute

Established on May 7, 1961, NSNIS is Asia’s largest sports institute, spread across 268 acres in Patiala.

Since its inception, it has produced:

• 17 Padma Shri awardees

• 12 Dronacharya awardees

• 17 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees

• 175 Arjuna awardees

The institute remains central to India’s coaching and sports science ecosystem.

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Punjab’s Sports Investment Triples to ₹1,000 Crore

Sarvjit Singh (IAS), Special Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, highlighted the state’s expanded commitment to sports development:

• Punjab’s sports budget has increased from ₹250–300 crore to nearly ₹1,000 crore

• About 3,000 village playgrounds are being upgraded with:

  • Grass turf

  • Watering systems

  • Toilets and change rooms

He also noted that the number of coaches in Punjab has risen sevenfold:

• From 350 to around 2,300

Outstanding coaches are being rewarded with government jobs, reflecting Punjab’s seriousness toward sports excellence.

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Building Champions Through Coaching, Science and Long-Term Pathways

Senior SAI officials and coaches interacted with experts, exchanging insights on:

• Identifying young talent early

• Building long-term athlete development systems

• Preparing athletes for international success

• Integrating sports science into training

The conference reaffirmed that India’s sporting future depends not only on talent, but on building world-class coaching capacity and structured grassroots pathways.