Pramod Bhagat and Rutuja Bhosale welcome expanded Khelo India roadmap

India’s sporting ecosystem received a fresh boost as Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and tennis player Rutuja Bhosale backed an expanded Khelo India framework, aligning it with longer-term Olympic goals.

According to Sportstar, Bhagat believes the new framework can help accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a top-10 sporting nation at the 2036 Olympics, with an even higher ambition of reaching the top five by 2048. The endorsement from active athletes is being seen as a constructive signal—one that places the spotlight on steady system-building rather than short-term results.

Athletes back a longer runway for performance Khelo India has been positioned as a key national programme to identify and nurture talent. Bhagat’s support highlights the importance of continuity—athletes need predictable pathways, regular competition exposure, and consistent high-quality training environments to convert potential into podium performances.

For many sportspersons, progress depends on a chain of factors working together: grassroots scouting, access to coaching, sports science support, injury management, and the confidence that opportunities will remain available through different stages of a career. An expanded framework can help bring these pieces closer, especially when it creates clearer bridges between school-level participation, state-level competition, and elite training.

Bhosale’s backing adds a valuable perspective from an individual sport where sustained support, competitive travel, and structured development are critical. When more athletes publicly align behind a broader national roadmap, it can also encourage younger players and families to view sport as a viable long-term pursuit.

Khelo India’s expanded focus and the Olympic horizon The 2036 and 2048 targets underline a planning horizon that suits sport: meaningful change typically needs years of groundwork. The idea of aiming for top-10 and top-five finishes is less about instant medals and more about raising the overall breadth and depth of performance across disciplines.

An expanded Khelo India framework can contribute by helping:

• widen the talent pool across regions and communities;
• improve the frequency and quality of competitive platforms;
• strengthen athlete support systems over multiple seasons;
• create better alignment between development pathways and elite performance programmes.

Such a direction, when sustained, can gradually reduce drop-offs in the transition from junior to senior sport—often the most challenging period for athletes.

A constructive moment for Indian sport India’s sporting progress is increasingly being shaped by collaborations between athletes, coaches, federations, and institutions. The encouraging part about endorsements like Bhagat’s is the emphasis on systems—training environments, selection processes, and competitive opportunities—rather than only headline outcomes.

As the country builds towards the next decade and beyond, the real test will be implementation: keeping pathways transparent, ensuring opportunities reach diverse talent centres, and maintaining the consistency that high-performance sport demands.

**Why it matters:** A stronger, expanded Khelo India framework can help India develop deeper sporting talent and more consistent performance—supporting a long-term national push towards top-10 and top-five Olympic outcomes in 2036 and 2048.