Raksha Khadse reviews sports, youth schemes in Mizoram's Saitual and Kolasib
Synopsis
Union MoS Raksha Khadse's two-day Mizoram visit placed grassroots sports and substance-abuse prevention at the centre of district governance reviews — with Kolasib's national-level footballers and hockey talent making a case for a dedicated training centre, and all 51 villages flagged for sports facility coverage under VB-GRAM-G.
Key Takeaways
Raksha Khadse , Union MoS for Youth Affairs and Sports, chaired district review meetings in Saitual and Kolasib , Mizoram, on 15–16 September 2026 .
Meetings reviewed implementation of Central Government schemes including the Khelo India Scheme and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan .
Kolasib was flagged for football, hockey, and wrestling talent — athletes are competing in national-level football leagues, and the district has produced a national-level hockey player.
Khadse recommended sports grounds under the VB-GRAM-G initiative be developed across all 51 villages in Kolasib district.
A dedicated athlete training centre for Kolasib was discussed to support structured coaching and sustained development.
Both districts were called on to strengthen coordination among administration, police, sports bodies, and community organisations for inclusive youth development.
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse chaired district-level review meetings in Saitual and Kolasib during her official visit to Mizoram on 15–16 September 2026, examining sports infrastructure, youth engagement, substance-abuse prevention, healthcare, agriculture, and connectivity across both districts. The meetings brought together senior district officials, police superintendents, sports federation representatives and community organisations to assess ground-level implementation of Central Government schemes.
Key Issues Reviewed
Across both district reviews, the agenda spanned development priorities including sports infrastructure, the Khelo India Scheme, the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, agricultural programmes, healthcare delivery, and livelihood opportunities. Khadse underscored that strengthening grassroots sporting ecosystems — particularly in regions like Mizoram with demonstrated sporting potential — requires sustained access to facilities, quality coaching, and structured training support.
She emphasised that India's youth are central to the country's development trajectory and called for their energy to be channelled into sports, education, entrepreneurship, and community service.
Saitual: Substance Abuse and Sports Infrastructure in Focus
The Saitual meeting was attended by District Collector Shriniwas Sadi, Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar Maurya, senior district officials, and representatives of sports federations and community organisations. A prominent agenda item was substance-abuse prevention among youth.
Khadse called for stronger coordination among youth groups, community organisations, and law-enforcement agencies under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, stressing peer-led awareness and sustained community-level efforts. On sports, local federation representatives flagged ground-level gaps in infrastructure and athlete development. The minister responded that infrastructure must be complemented by regular coaching and structured training pathways to help young athletes progress to higher levels of competition.
Kolasib: Football, Hockey, Wrestling and a Push for a Training Centre
In Kolasib, the review was chaired by Khadse and attended by District Collector H. Dolianbuaia, MCS; Superintendent of Police Pu Lalrinpuia Varte; and senior administrative and departmental heads. Football, hockey, and wrestling were identified as the district's prominent sporting disciplines.
Notably, athletes from Kolasib are participating in national-level football leagues, and the district has produced at least one national-level hockey player. Discussions highlighted the need for a dedicated training centre to provide structured coaching opportunities locally. Khadse also reviewed sports infrastructure being developed under the VB-GRAM-G initiative — including football and volleyball grounds — and suggested that facilities be extended across all 51 villages in the district to improve grassroots access.
The Superintendent of Police briefed Khadse on Kolasib's ongoing Nasha Mukt initiatives, with emphasis on preventive interventions and awareness programmes in educational institutions.
Way Forward
Both district reviews concluded with a call for stronger coordination among district administrations, police, youth institutions, sports bodies, agricultural cooperatives, and community organisations to advance inclusive development. The meetings set the tone for follow-up action on sports facility development, youth mobilisation, and the wider rollout of Central Government programmes across the two districts. How quickly district-level administrations translate these deliberations into on-ground outcomes will determine the impact of Khadse's visit.
Point of View
But Khadse's Mizoram visit surfaces a structural gap: states with genuine sporting talent — Kolasib's footballers and hockey player are competing nationally — still lack dedicated training infrastructure. The call to extend sports grounds to all 51 villages under VB-GRAM-G is the right instinct, but without a funded timeline and accountability mechanism, such suggestions risk remaining on meeting minutes. The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan's reach in remote Mizoram districts will also depend on whether community-level coordination pledged at these reviews translates into staffed, funded programmes — not just awareness drives.
NationPress
16 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Union MoS Raksha Khadse review during her Mizoram visit?
Khadse chaired district-level review meetings in Saitual and Kolasib on 15–16 September 2026, covering sports infrastructure, the Khelo India Scheme, the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, healthcare, agriculture, and connectivity. The reviews assessed the on-ground implementation of Central Government schemes across both districts.
What is the sporting significance of Kolasib district in Mizoram?
Kolasib has athletes competing in national-level football leagues, a dedicated hockey ground, and has produced at least one national-level hockey player. Football, hockey, and wrestling were identified as the district's prominent disciplines, and discussions centred on establishing a dedicated training centre to support local athletes.
What is the VB-GRAM-G initiative discussed during the Kolasib review?
VB-GRAM-G is a Central Government initiative under which sports infrastructure such as football and volleyball grounds is being developed in rural areas. Khadse recommended that sports grounds under this initiative be extended to all 51 villages in Kolasib district to improve grassroots access to sporting facilities.
How does the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan feature in these district reviews?
Substance-abuse prevention through the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was a key agenda item in both Saitual and Kolasib meetings. Khadse called for stronger coordination among youth groups, community organisations, and law-enforcement agencies, and emphasised peer-led awareness and greater outreach in educational institutions.
What is the Khelo India Scheme and how is it relevant to Mizoram?
The Khelo India Scheme is a Central Government programme aimed at expanding sporting opportunities at the grassroots level across India. Khadse highlighted its role in supporting athlete development in districts like Saitual and Kolasib, where local federation representatives flagged gaps in infrastructure and coaching pathways.
