International Olympic Academy Seeks Partnership with India to Boost Olympic Education

Summing up the outcome of the meeting, Shri Hari Ranjan Rao said the engagement marked a strong beginning for deeper collaboration.

A two-member delegation from the International Olympic Academy (IOA), led by Mr Makis Asimakopoulos, Director, IOA, and Ms Alexandra Karaiskou, visited the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Headquarters in New Delhi to explore collaboration with the Government of India on strengthening Olympic education and values-based sports development.

The delegation met senior officials of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, led by Secretary (Sports) Shri Hari Ranjan Rao, to discuss potential partnerships involving the Sports Ministry, Indian Olympic Association (IOA–India), and the recently revived National Olympic Academy (NOA) of India.

Expressing appreciation for India’s sports roadmap, Mr Asimakopoulos said he was impressed by “the plan, strategy and vision that the Sports Ministry has put in place to play a major role in the Olympic Movement.” He added that after reviewing the range of sports programmes being implemented by the Government of India, the International Olympic Academy was keen to extend its expertise to strengthen Olympic education in the country.

“We want to bring our expertise to train people across the sports ecosystem on the values of Olympism and the Olympic Games, so that young people in India grow up with a deep understanding of Olympic values,” he said.

Strengthening Olympic education ecosystem

The discussions focused on developing specially curated educational programmes for Indian coaches, sports science experts, physical education teachers, and sports administrators, aimed at embedding Olympic values and best global practices into India’s rapidly expanding sports ecosystem.

Established in 1961 and headquartered at ancient Olympia in Greece, the International Olympic Academy is the only institution in the world dedicated exclusively to Olympic education and studies. It operates through a global network of National Olympic Academies, including one in India, which has been recently revived after a long gap.

Ms Alexandra Karaiskou described the meeting as highly productive, noting that India is taking concrete and structured steps toward hosting major global sporting events.

“From the presentation made by the Secretary (Sports), we see India’s seriousness in hosting the Commonwealth Games and pursuing its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. I am especially happy that the National Olympic Academy in India has been revived, and we look forward to close collaboration with the Sports Authority of India and Indian stakeholders to promote Olympic values,” she said.

Roadmap for collaboration

Summing up the outcome of the meeting, Shri Hari Ranjan Rao said the engagement marked a strong beginning for deeper collaboration.

“This was a very fruitful first meeting. Drawing from the rich experience of the International Olympic Academy will help us further strengthen sports education in India. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s sports ecosystem is expanding rapidly, and creating experts who can take the Olympic Movement forward is critical,” he said.

Shri Rao outlined several areas where the IOA could support India’s Olympic education efforts, including:

• Developing globally benchmarked curricula tailored to Indian needs

• Extending skilling ecosystems at premier educational institutions

• Creating certified courses for sports administrators

• Hosting masterclasses by international experts

• Joint research initiatives and digital collaborations

It was also proposed that India host a Conclave of Global National Olympic Academies, along with exploring collaboration with the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) to enable long-term legacy knowledge exchange in Olympic education.

The engagement signals India’s growing ambition to play a leading role in the global Olympic Movement, backed by institutional reform, international collaboration, and a strong focus on values-driven sports education.