Patiala, February 6: The two-day international conference titled ‘Grassroots to Greatness: Talent Identification and athlete development’ held at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) emphasized the urgent need for India to develop quality coaches to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of positioning the country among the top five sports nations by 2047.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, expressed pride in hosting the conference, stating, “As we continue our commitment to sports excellence, we are proud to host the second international conference on ‘Grassroots to Greatness – Talent Identification and Athlete Development’. India aims to become a global sports power. Initiatives like Khelo India are paving new paths for young athletes. Our focus is on grassroots development, sports infrastructure, and leveraging technology for athlete success. This conference brings together global experts to share best practices in talent identification, LTAD (Long-Term Athlete Development), and the integration of sports science.”
NSNIS, Patiala, is the premier national institute for sports training and sports science education under the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The conference saw participation from over 600 aspiring coaches, renowned athletes, sports scientists, administrators, educators, and students, along with more than 30 distinguished national and international experts, making it one of the largest platforms for knowledge sharing in the field of sports development in the country.
Hari Ranjan Rao (IAS), Secretary (Sports) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Director General of SAI, inaugurated the conference, highlighting the ministry’s relentless efforts to create a robust sports ecosystem.
Professor Nenad Trunic, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Management at Singidunum University, Serbia, expressed gratitude for being invited to the prestigious conference, stating, “I am honored to be invited to this conference in Patiala. It is a great opportunity for all of us to share information, exchange ideas and suggestions, not only with future coaches but also with students and athletes entering the coaching field. It also provides us a chance to address the challenges faced by Indian coaches.”
Richard Lee Brooks shared insights with SAI Media, saying, “I generally coached national teams, but sometimes I had to coach youth teams as well, as we didn’t have teams at that level. Therefore, we started working from almost the beginning, teaching coaches how to coach and then including children in teams. Indian basketball is progressing, but there is still a long way to go. Training our coaches is crucial, which is why international conferences like this are so important, as they provide previously unknown information.”
Established on May 7, 1961, the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports is Asia’s largest sports institute, sprawling over 268 acres. Since its inception, the institute has produced 17 Padma Shri, 12 Dronacharya, 17 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, and 175 Arjuna awardees.
Martin Toms remarked to SAI Media, “Patiala has been my second home for the past 15 years, and I am delighted to see the development here. Conferences like ‘Grassroots to Greatness’ are truly significant. To support any Indian athlete’s journey at any level, we must understand what goes into preparing those champions. The best part is that we are meeting trainees here who will become the next generation of coaches and help identify talented athletes.”
Special Chief Secretary of Punjab, Sarvjeet Singh (IAS), emphasized the importance of such conferences, stating, “These conferences are extremely important as they help our coaches gain invaluable knowledge about international best practices. The sports budget of the Punjab government, which was previously between ₹250-300 crores, has now tripled to nearly ₹1000 crores.”
He further added that they are equipping around 3,000 existing sports fields at the village panchayat level with proper grass, irrigation systems, toilets, and changing rooms. The number of coaches has also increased sevenfold from 350 to approximately 2,300, with excellent coaches receiving immediate government jobs, reflecting the seriousness of the state government towards sports development.