In a significant development for Indian sports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed interest in adopting two to three Olympic disciplines under the Sports Ministry’s ambitious Olympic Centre of Excellence initiative. The move aligns with the government’s vision of developing elite, single-sport training hubs across the country, modeled after global best practices.
BCCI’s Pledge to Olympic Sports
At a high-level meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday, attended by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and representatives from 58 leading corporate houses, BCCI’s Rajeev Shukla stated the board’s willingness to back Olympic sports. The BCCI has asked the ministry to decide which disciplines they should adopt.
“The Board is willing to adopt two to three Olympic disciplines and would leave it on the ministry to decide what those disciplines would be,” said a ministry source.
The ministry lauded the support and reiterated that this initiative aims to nurture 100 to 200 top-tier athletes per sport, focusing on the current and next Olympic cycles.
Current Status and Future Roadmap
India currently operates 23 National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) under the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Of these, only three are dedicated to single sports—boxing (Rohtak), swimming (Delhi), and shooting (Delhi)—while others are multi-disciplinary hubs like those in Patiala and Bengaluru.
Minister Mandaviya has long advocated for dedicated Olympic facilities, inspired by the success of high-performance centers in Japan, the USA, and Australia.
The BCCI has a history of backing Olympic sports financially, having donated ₹50 crore to the National Sports Development Fund in 2008 and ₹8.5 crore to the Indian Olympic Association in 2023.
OCI Athletes May Soon Be Eligible
In a parallel policy discussion, the ministry is also considering a proposal to allow Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) to compete in international events, a significant shift in eligibility rules. If approved, this could broaden India’s talent pool across disciplines.
As India gears up for future Olympic campaigns, partnerships between sports federations, corporates, and government bodies could redefine the country’s sporting infrastructure and international competitiveness.
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