Archive · 20 Sep 2026
India’s 2036 Olympic Path Starts With School Talent
Many children may have sports abilities that nobody has noticed yet.
Schools can test skills such as speed, strength, balance and endurance.
These tests can help children become healthier and may show which sports suit them.
Not every child who is tested will become an Olympic athlete.
However, every child can learn more about fitness.
Children should be tested more than once because they grow and change at different speeds.
India wants to connect school testing with coaches, training and competitions.
Programs such as Khelo India and KIRTI are part of this effort.
A child identified today could potentially compete for India at the 2036 Olympics.
India should identify children’s physical abilities in schools, not only notice them after they begin competing.
Scientific testing of speed, strength, endurance, agility, flexibility, balance and coordination could improve both fitness and talent discovery.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for identifying sporting talent among children aged five to fifteen.
Existing programs including Khelo India, KIRTI and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme could be connected into a clearer pathway.
Rajasthan’s PRATIBHA pilot assessed 1,117 students at PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 in Jaipur.
- Who
- Indian schoolchildren, sports administrators and coaches; Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged talent identification among children aged five to fifteen.
- What
- A proposed school-based system would measure children’s physical abilities, track their development and connect promising talent with suitable sports and training.
- When
- The effort is being discussed in preparation for the 2036 Olympics; children aged five to fifteen today could form part of that generation.
- Where
- Schools across India, including a PRATIBHA pilot at PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
- Why
- To improve fitness among children, discover sporting ability earlier and reduce the influence of geography and access on talent discovery.
- Target Olympic Games
- 2036 Olympics
- Suggested assessment ages
- Five to fifteen years
- Abilities to measure
- Speed, strength, endurance, agility, flexibility, balance and coordination
- Rajasthan pilot
- PRATIBHA
- Students assessed
- 1,117 students
- Pilot location
- PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Jaipur
- Existing sports initiatives
- Khelo India, KIRTI and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme