Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 23 (PTI) Kerala’s contribution to Indian sports is well known, and the state will play a significant role in the country’s success at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
He was speaking after flagging off the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 Fun Run organised here on the occasion of International Olympic Day.
Describing the occasion as a historic milestone, the union minister said for the first time in India an event under the Olympic Council of Asia’s ‘Asian Games for All’ initiative was being hosted.
Mandaviya said Kerala occupies a special place in India’s sporting landscape.
The state’s passion for sports is reflected not only in the achievements of its champion athletes but also in the enthusiasm of its people. “That is why the development of sports has emerged as a priority for us over the past decade,” he said.
Recalling the achievements of sporting icons such as P T Usha, Anju Bobby George and P R Sreejesh, the union minister said Kerala has consistently produced athletes who have brought laurels to the nation.
He said he had rarely witnessed such enthusiasm for a sporting event, adding that the overwhelming participation witnessed in Thiruvananthapuram reflected Kerala’s deep-rooted sporting culture.
Highlighting the government’s initiatives to nurture sporting talent, Mandaviya said 115 athletes from Kerala, including 69 women athletes, are currently supported under the Khelo India programme.
He added that 17 athletes from the state are part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), receiving support to excel at the highest levels of international competition.
Referring to India’s long-term sporting vision, Mandaviya said the country has secured the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and has submitted its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
Guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, he said, India aims to become one of the world’s top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and among the top five by 2047, when the country celebrates 100 years of Independence.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said India must prepare itself to realise its aspiration of hosting the Olympic Games in the future.
He expressed confidence that India’s performances at the upcoming Asian Games and Commonwealth Games would demonstrate the country’s growing sporting strength and pave the way for greater achievements on the Olympic stage.
Calling upon people to embrace the spirit of sports, he urged everyone to “run for the nation, run for sports and run for the country.” Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha said sport has the power to bring people together irrespective of age, language or background.
She said the Fun Run carried a special message as the country looked ahead to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
State Ministers, Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, Olympian Sreejesh, the District Collector and other senior officials were also present on the occasion, an official statement said. PTI LGK KH
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