NEW DELHI: Be it sport or society, the participation of youth is India’s strength, PM Narendra Modi said Thursday, calling upon them to take to sports at a time when more avenues have emerged for their participation.Speaking at the Khelo India dialogue, he said, “More important than screens are sports centres. More important than PlayStation is the playground. And this will happen only when the youth embrace this approach.” Lamenting India’s absence from almost half of Olympic sports, he said that is why he had announced a talent hunt for children in the 5-15 years age bracket.“In the 2012 Olympics, India participated in only 13 sports. In more than 20 disciplines, India had no presence.” Indian sportspersons must achieve mastery in these disciplines to increase the medal tally, Modi said, noting that the country’s vast coastline and mountainous regions should help produce sportspersons who are into surfing and sport climbing.
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No Indian has ever competed in these disciplines at the Olympics. Both are part of 2028 Olympics. “We have both the demography and geography for water sports and winter sports. Yet we are not visible in such sports globally.”With India keen to host 2036 Olympics, he said, “Our focus should be on preparing sportspersons who will qualify and compete in different sports in 2036.” Referring to his Independence Day address where he spoke about boosting the sporting ecosystem, he said this should not be confined to winning medals but must be a campaign to integrate youth power with sporting power.