Ahmedabad, October 12: Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday reiterated India’s commitment to placing sports at the centre of nation-building while inaugurating the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games in Ahmedabad.
The one-day event provides a non-competitive platform to showcase traditional sporting practices and encourage cultural exchange. India is represented through three disciplines: Mallakhamb, Yogasana and Kalaripayattu, highlighting the country’s rich sporting heritage.
BRICS Games Showcase India’s Traditional Sports
The demonstration games aim to promote indigenous sporting disciplines and introduce their unique practices to an international audience. Mallakhamb, Yogasana and Kalaripayattu combine physical strength, balance, flexibility and discipline, reflecting India’s longstanding sporting traditions.
The event offers an opportunity to preserve these practices while encouraging greater international recognition of traditional Indian sports.
Mandaviya Highlights Khelo India Investment
Speaking at the inauguration, Mandaviya outlined the government’s comprehensive approach to building a sustainable sporting ecosystem, covering grassroots participation, talent identification, coaching, sports science, athlete welfare, infrastructure and international exposure.
He also highlighted a budgetary allocation of USD 3.76 billion (over ₹36,400 crore) for the Khelo India Initiative, according to the report. The programme will support nationwide sports infrastructure upgrades and training opportunities for young athletes.
India’s Sporting Vision
By combining investment in modern facilities with the promotion of indigenous disciplines, India aims to strengthen its sporting ecosystem while preserving its cultural heritage.
The BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games provide an international platform for this vision, bringing India’s traditional sporting practices into focus alongside its broader ambitions for the future of sport.
