Let’s Talk Policy – India’s Olympic challenge: Do we have the right policies to produce world class sportspersons?

‘Let’s Talk Policy’ is a panel discussion series initiated by Kautilya School of Public Policy, that brings forth a select group of panellists, sharing differing views on key issues of national and global relevance, and building the dialogue into a conversation for the student community.

The series aims to unravel major themes around democracy, politics, and human rights, and explore the challenges and rewards of implementing practices. We aim to create a cohesive platform and call on thematic experts to foster a healthy dialogue around the most-pressing issues.

About the event

With the Tokyo Olympics approaching, we look at India’s sporting potential, and measures taken by the government to encourage and produce outstanding sportspersons.

While several initiatives have been launched – Target Olympic Podium Scheme, Khelo India Programme, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan, etc. – the question remains whether India can achieve their stated goal of breaking into the Top 10 of the Summer Olympics medal table by 2028.

In this ‘Let’s Talk Policy’ session, we catch up with Abhinav Bindra, Gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to decode India’s sporting culture. How can the historical evolution of sports help us understand contemporary challenges better? How has governance and the administrative structure of sports in India impacted performance? Finally, how can other stakeholders such as NGOs help popularise sports at the grassroots, and create opportunities for all sections of society?

The event will be moderated by renowned journalist, Nidhi Razdan.