Smt. Raksha Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, chairs a meeting with senior officials from the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra to discuss reforms aimed at strengthening Maharashtra's sports ecosystem, focusing on institutional reforms, high-performance sport, athlete development, governance, and youth affairs.
On July 23, 2026, Smt. Raksha Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, chaired a meeting with senior officials from the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra to discuss a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening Maharashtra's sports and youth development ecosystem. The discussions focused on institutional reforms in sports governance, strengthening high-performance systems, capacity building of coaches through structured Continuous Professional Development programmes, enhanced sports science support, robust athlete development pathways, strengthening Mission Lakshyavedh, comprehensive assessment of Khelo India Centres, sustainable sports infrastructure development, professional management of sports facilities, digital athlete management systems, greater participation of the private sector, international collaborations for knowledge exchange, reforms in the State's competition structure to ensure transparent and merit-based athlete progression, and the implementation roadmap for Project Mahadevaa. Additionally, the meeting addressed measures to strengthen the Youth Affairs ecosystem through dedicated institutional mechanisms, enhanced youth engagement, leadership development, and greater convergence among stakeholders. The objective was to position Maharashtra as a leading sporting state while contributing to India's long-term sporting ambitions. Key attendees included Shri Pravinsinh Pardeshi, Chief Executive Officer of MITRA, Shri Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary (Sports), Government of India & Director General, Sports Authority of India, Shri Ram Singh, Secretary, Sports Authority of India, Shri Ranjit Singh Deol, Principal Secretary (Sports), Government of Maharashtra, and Shri R. Vineel Krishna, Joint Secretary (Khelo India), Department of Sports, Government of India. Chairing the meeting, Smt. Raksha Khadse emphasised that close collaboration between the Union and State Governments is essential for achieving the objectives of the Khelo Bharat Niti and realising the vision of Viksit Bharat under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
