LA Olympics 2028: Sports Minister Urges Federations to Build India's Medal Pipeline
Sports federations met with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to review India's performance at the Asian Games. Citing the example of weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, the Sports Minister questioned how long one Mira will continue to win medals for the country.
While conducting a brain-storming exercise with the Sports Ministry and National Sports Federations on the performances of India in the Asian Games, the Sports Minister, Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya, told the federations that "How many years will Mirabai Chanu win us medals? We have to grow 10 more Mirabais."
As mentioned by the Sports Minister, one should not bank on a single player in any sport. With the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games of Los Angeles and 2030 Commonwealth and Asian Games kept in mind, it becomes important to enlarge the list of medal winners. The Sports Minister has also asked the questions from sports federations on their performances in sports like shooting, athletics, badminton, fencing, and swimming.
When the sports federations provided details of their performance, the issue of sending injured athletes also came up. While AFI spokesperson Adil Sumariwala was describing the performance, IOA President P.T. Usha raised the issue of injured athletes and the lack of a coach for one athlete. The Sports Minister interrupted the discussion, stating that the discussion should be collective rather than focused on a specific issue. The Sports Minister told the sports federations that they no longer face a shortage of funds for preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics, but that the federations must begin planning now.
