Mansukh Mandaviya flags off Asian Games Fun Run in Thiruvananthapuram
Synopsis
India's first Asian Games for All event landed in Thiruvananthapuram on International Olympic Day — with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya flagging off a Fun Run and cycling from Chacka ITI to Shanghumukham Beach. With 115 Kerala athletes on Khelo India support and a 2036 Olympics bid in play, the event was as much about national ambition as community fitness.
Key Takeaways
Mansukh Mandaviya flagged off the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 Fun Run in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 June , International Olympic Day.
The event was India's first under the Olympic Council of Asia's Asian Games for All initiative.
115 Kerala athletes — including 69 women — are supported under Khelo India ; 17 are part of TOPS .
The Sundays on Cycle initiative has grown from 200 to 10,000 locations with nearly two lakh participants .
India has secured the 2030 Commonwealth Games and submitted a bid for the 2036 Olympics , targeting a top-5 sporting nation ranking by 2047 .
Usha and Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar addressed participants at the event.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday, 23 June flagged off the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 Fun Run in Thiruvananthapuram, marking the first event in India under the Olympic Council of Asia's Asian Games for All initiative. The event, held on International Olympic Day, brought together athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and community workers in a demonstration of Kerala's growing sporting culture.
Kerala's Role in India's Sporting Ambitions
Addressing participants after the flag-off, Mandaviya said Kerala holds a special place in India's sporting landscape and can contribute significantly to the country's performance at the upcoming Asian Games. 'Kerala has produced champions and has a deep-rooted passion for sports. The enthusiasm witnessed here reflects the sporting culture of the state,' he said, citing the achievements of sprint legend P. T. Usha, long-jump icon Anju Bobby George, and hockey goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh.
The minister noted that 115 athletes from Kerala — including 69 women — are currently supported under the Khelo India programme, while 17 athletes from the state are enrolled in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Cycling by the Sea and the Fit India Push
Mandaviya also participated in the Cycling by the Sea event, organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) as part of the Fit India Movement. He joined the cycling rally from Chacka ITI to Shanghumukham Beach alongside ASHA workers, Kudumbashree members, athletes, and cycling enthusiasts.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said cycling promotes fitness, reduces pollution, eases traffic congestion, and conserves fuel. He highlighted the expansion of the Sundays on Cycle initiative, which started at 200 locations and has since scaled to 10,000 locations with nearly two lakh participants — a marker of the programme's grassroots reach.
India's 2036 Olympic Bid and Top-5 Target
Mandaviya outlined India's broader sporting roadmap, confirming that the country has secured the 2030 Commonwealth Games and submitted its bid for the 2036 Olympics. He said India aims to rank among the top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and within the top five by 2047 — the centenary of independence.
This comes amid a wider governmental push to use mega sporting events as catalysts for infrastructure development and grassroots talent identification. Notably, the Fun Run is the first of what the Olympic Council of Asia envisions as a nationwide series of community events ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
Voices from the Dais
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said India must prepare itself to realise its Olympic dream, expressing confidence that upcoming international performances would underscore the country's growing sporting strength.
Indian Olympic Association president P. T. Usha said sport has the power to unite people across barriers and that the Fun Run carried a special message ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her presence at the event — as both a Kerala icon and the head of India's Olympic body — added symbolic weight to the occasion.
With the Asian Games less than a year away, Tuesday's event signals that India's sporting mobilisation is moving beyond elite training camps and into public squares.
Point of View
But the numbers beneath it reveal a sharper strategic intent. India's Khelo India pipeline now backs 115 Kerala athletes alone, and the 2036 Olympics bid gives every grassroots event a geopolitical dimension. The real question is whether the Sundays on Cycle optics — 10,000 locations, two lakh cyclists — translate into medal-ready infrastructure, or remain a feel-good metric. With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games less than a year out, the gap between India's top-5-by-2047 rhetoric and its current medal-table position is still wide enough to be uncomfortable.
NationPress
24 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 Fun Run?
It is a community running event held as part of the Olympic Council of Asia's Asian Games for All initiative, designed to build public enthusiasm ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. The Thiruvananthapuram edition on 23 June was the first such event held in India.
Why was Thiruvananthapuram chosen for this event?
The event was held in Thiruvananthapuram on International Olympic Day, with Kerala's strong sporting legacy — home to icons like P. T. Usha and P. R. Sreejesh — making it a fitting venue for the first Asian Games for All event in India.
How many Kerala athletes are supported under government sports schemes?
According to Minister Mandaviya, 115 athletes from Kerala, including 69 women, are currently supported under the Khelo India programme, while 17 athletes from the state are enrolled in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
What is the Sundays on Cycle initiative?
Sundays on Cycle is a fitness initiative under the Fit India Movement that encourages citizens to cycle on Sundays. It began at 200 locations and has expanded to 10,000 locations, with nearly two lakh participants, according to the minister.
What are India's long-term sporting targets?
India aims to rank among the top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and within the top five by 2047. The country has already secured hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and submitted a bid for the 2036 Olympics.
