New Delhi, June 20: In a tech-driven push to scout raw sporting talent from the grassroots, the government is set to launch a dedicated mobile application that will allow citizens to upload videos of young athletes, from schoolyards, playgrounds, and even remote villages, showcasing potential in sports like cricket, athletics, archery and more.
The idea has been sparked by a series of viral social media clips in recent months where children were seen displaying exceptional sporting skills despite limited resources. Officials say the app aims to convert such untapped talent into a national asset by bringing them under structured training within the Khelo India framework.
Once launched, the app will serve as a digital bridge between aspiring athletes and national-level sports programmes. Through simple uploads, parents, teachers or local community members can flag a child’s talent for review by zonal talent selection committees. These panels, comprising former athletes, certified coaches, and sports scientists, will screen the entries.
Shortlisted talents will be given access to Khelo India Centres across the country, where they will receive professional coaching, nutritional support, and mentoring. This early-stage grooming is part of a wider pipeline the government is building to prepare athletes for the 2036 Olympics and other global competitions.
Sources in the Sports Ministry said the move is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a global sporting powerhouse and nurturing a stronger sporting culture.
Importantly, the initiative is designed to ensure that fairness and inclusivity remain at the heart of talent identification. Officials noted that many deserving children often fall through the cracks due to financial or geographic limitations. By making talent discovery a crowdsourced and tech-enabled process, the government hopes to reach corners that traditional scouting has so far missed.
The upcoming app builds on the “Talent Identification and Development” vertical of the revamped Khelo India – National Programme for Development of Sports launched in 2018. However, this is the first time that talent discovery is being directly opened up to public participation via a mobile platform.
In regions like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where access to structured sports training remains limited despite abundant raw talent, this app could be a game-changer. Coaches, teachers, and even local residents will now be able to spotlight young athletes from remote islands, many of whom excel in indigenous games, athletics, and martial arts but remain off the national radar. By enabling direct digital access to the Khelo India talent ecosystem, the initiative opens up unprecedented opportunities for island youth to be discovered and nurtured – bridging the gap between isolation and inclusion in India’s sports journey.
With the app expected to roll out in the coming months, the spotlight is now on how India’s playgrounds, gallis and paddy fields might just become the training grounds for tomorrow’s champions.
