Bengaluru, Mar 15 (UNI) India's cricketing legend Virat Kohli on Saturday outlined a bold vision for India’s sporting future, declaring that the country is on track to become a ‘Sports Forward Nation’ by 2036.
Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, powered by Leaders, Kohli stressed that this transformation requires a collective effort beyond infrastructure and financial backing.
"We are working towards India becoming a Sports Forward Nation by 2036. We have the vision, and the groundwork is happening today. But it’s a collective responsibility. Not just infrastructure, not just financial backers, not just athletes, but also those willing to educate themselves about the sport," he noted.
Kohli emphasised the need to prioritise sports education over mere celebration and fanaticism. "We don’t need just celebration and fanaticism; we need the education of the sport. Once the education around sport takes place, the experience will be ten times what it is today. That will be a big step towards India becoming a Sports Forward Nation," he elaborated.
Kohli also lauded women athletes as the true catalysts behind the transformation of women’s sports in India, attributing their relentless drive to the rise in commercial investments, increased funding, and the eventual establishment of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
"Women athletes were their own catalysts, driving attention to themselves, which led to commercial growth, increased funding, and ultimately, the creation of the WPL," he stated.
He underscored the importance of a collective approach in sports development, emphasising that the rise of women’s sports is an integral part of the broader sporting ecosystem.
“Looking at men for the improvement of sport in any country is a limited perspective. It has to be a collective effort. Sports culture includes everyone, and women's sport is a massive part of it,” he added.
Highlighting the trailblazing success of women athletes across various disciplines—including tennis, badminton, wrestling, and boxing—Kohli credited them for accelerating financial investments and structural advancements in women’s sports.
"We have so much data in women's sports, not just cricket but also in other disciplines. We are creating year-round engagement in tennis, badminton, wrestling, boxing. It’s definitely heading in the right direction, but it needs more backing, more funding, and continued infrastructure development," he emphasised.
The RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit brought together eminent personalities from the sporting fraternity to discuss key aspects of sports innovation, infrastructure, and policy frameworks required to elevate India’s sporting landscape. A central theme of the discussions revolved around the unprecedented growth of women’s sports in the country and the steps needed to sustain this momentum.
With sporting icons like Kohli advocating for a more inclusive and progressive sporting ecosystem, the push towards making India a global sporting powerhouse seems to be gaining strong momentum.
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