Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday, 13 June 2026, credited twelve years of the Modi government with transforming opportunities for Indian athletes, saying improved training, infrastructure, and institutional support have enabled them to represent the Tricolour with distinction on the world stage.

Context

Posting under the hashtags #12YearsOfYuvaShakti and #12YearsOfModiGovernment, CM Khandu drew a contrast between an earlier era when talent went unrecognised due to scarce opportunities and the present, where he says systemic investment has changed the landscape. The post, directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is part of a coordinated BJP outreach marking a dozen years of the party in power at the Centre.

The phrase 'Yuva Shakti' — meaning 'youth power' — frames sports development as a generational shift, linking athletic achievement to governance outcomes under the National Democratic Alliance.

Policy Backdrop

The central government launched the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in 2014 to provide elite athletes with personalised funding, foreign training stints, and equipment support. The scheme marked a departure from ad hoc patronage toward structured, performance-linked assistance.

In 2017, the Khelo India programme extended this philosophy to the grassroots, funding school-level competitions, upgrading facilities across states, and creating a talent identification pipeline. Together, the two initiatives represent the spine of central sports policy over the past twelve years. Arunachal Pradesh, with its tradition of combat sports and athletics, has been among the states receiving Khelo India infrastructure support.

Stakeholders and Impact

Indian athletes across disciplines — from wrestling and boxing to archery and weightlifting — have recorded stronger performances at multi-sport events including the Asian Games and successive Olympic cycles since the policy shift began in 2014. Youth from smaller states and rural backgrounds, who previously lacked access to quality coaching, are among the primary beneficiaries of expanded training centres and stipend programmes.

For Arunachal Pradesh specifically, central sports investment carries additional significance: the state's remote geography and limited historical infrastructure meant local talent was disproportionately disadvantaged. State leaders like CM Khandu have consistently highlighted federal support as a multiplier for north-eastern participation in national and international sport.

What's Next

Attention will turn to Indian performance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which is shaping up as the benchmark against which a decade of sports policy investment will be measured. Domestically, the rollout of state-level Khelo India centres in Arunachal Pradesh and other north-eastern states remains a key indicator of whether grassroots infrastructure has reached the country's most underserved sporting regions. How the next phase of TOPS selections and funding cycles are structured will determine whether the momentum celebrated by leaders like CM Khandu translates into podium finishes on the global stage.