The Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Raksha Khadse, led a high-level meeting with officials from the Government of India and Maharashtra to discuss enhancing the state’s sports and youth development ecosystem. The discussions aimed at reforms in sports governance, high-performance sport, athlete development, and governance to elevate Maharashtra as a key sporting state aligning with India’s long-term sports goals.
Key attendees included Pravinsinh Pardeshi, Hari Ranjan Rao, Ram Singh, Ranjit Singh Deol, and R. Vineel Krishna, focusing on athlete-centric reforms and a future-ready sports ecosystem in Maharashtra. The agenda covered institutional reforms, coach capacity building, sports science support, athlete development pathways, Mission Lakshyavedh, Khelo India Centres assessment, sports infrastructure development, private sector involvement, and international collaborations for knowledge exchange.
The meeting also addressed strengthening the Youth Affairs ecosystem through enhanced youth engagement, leadership development, and stakeholder convergence. Emphasizing the need for close collaboration between Union and State Governments, MoS Khadse highlighted the importance of achieving Khelo Bharat Niti’s objectives and realizing Viksit Bharat’s vision under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
MoS Khadse underscored that the proposed reforms would align with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s vision to bolster Maharashtra’s position as a leading sporting state through institutional reforms, professional governance, and sustained investment in athlete development. The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to drive these reforms through continued cooperation between the Governments of India and Maharashtra, aiming to build a globally competitive sports ecosystem and create more opportunities for athletes and youth in the State.
