India

Khelo India Dialogue 2026: PM Modi To Address Young Athletes And Youth Leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address young athletes and youth leaders on Thursday through the nationwide ‘Khelo India Dialogue – Khel Ki Baat, Pradhan Mantri Modi Ke Saath’. The virtual programme will mark National Sports Day 2026.

More than 1,500 educational institutions will join the initiative online.

The programme will unite emerging athletes, students, policymakers and prominent sportspersons. It will allow young participants to share ideas on strengthening India’s sporting ecosystem and widening opportunities.

The Prime Minister’s virtual address will precede simultaneous physical programmes at participating institutions.

IITs, IIMs, NITs, AIIMS, leading medical colleges and universities are expected to participate.

The dialogue will focus on grassroots sports infrastructure, coaching and competitive opportunities. It will address talent identification and development, with India’s 2036 Olympic ambitions in focus.

Youth participation in governance and leadership will form another priority.

The programme will promote future-ready skills, volunteering and nation-building opportunities.

Leading athletes, including Deepa Karmakar, Saina Nehwal, Gagan Narang, Sreejesh, Mary Kom, Baichung Bhutia, Pullela Gopichand, Anju Bobby George, Karnam Malleswari, Mirabai Chanu and PT Usha, will interact with participants. They will discuss their sporting journeys, challenges and experiences.

MPs, MLAs, Union Ministers, Ministers of State and State Sports Ministers will join discussions across different locations.

Talent development sessions will examine scientific identification methods, athlete preparation and stronger pathways from grassroots sport to elite competition.

Organisers aim to sustain youth participation after National Sports Day.

Participants will be encouraged to take the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue Quiz and register on the MY Bharat Portal.

The initiative seeks to give young people a stronger voice in shaping India’s sporting future and wider youth development.

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Pragati Upadhyay

I report stories and occasionally rescue facts from chaos. By profession, I’m a journalist; by conviction, a social worker who believes words should move people, not just headlines. I question power, celebrate ordinary heroes, and sometimes irritate the comfortable. If truth had a shift, I’d probably be working overtime.