Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced a Rs. 100 crore sports mission in Raipur while honouring Khelo India Tribal Games medallists and outlining long-term athlete development.

In a significant boost to sports development in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced that the state would invest Rs. 1,700 crore the most in the field. The allocation of 100 crore in the first-ever Sports Conclave of the State conducted in Raipur under the Mukhyamantri Khel Utkrisht Mission. The announcement coincided with the Chief Minister awarding the medals to the winners of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 and sharing his vision of a long-term plan to boost sports infrastructure, discovery of young talent and opportunities for sportsmen across the state.

The Sports Conclave, held by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare on July 28, was attended by sports administrators, policy makers, sports scientists, Olympians, federation officials and coaches from all over India. The sessions addressed the need for enhanced sports infrastructure, talent identification, training systems for athletes and the development of a vision for the future of sports in Chhattisgarh for the next few years.

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that the suggestions to be presented during the meeting will influence the future sports policy of the state. He said the government has earmarked Rs. 100 crore in Budget of the current financial year, under Mukhyamantri Khel Utkrisht Mission, for strengthening of sports infrastructure and augmenting sporting facilities.

The conclave was a significant milestone in the development of sports culture in the state and it is a testament to the government’s dedication to sports development, he said.

Not just infrastructure, either, is the government’s focus limited to.

The state has also approved a list of 156 top sports persons will be given benefits in future government jobs, says Sai. The Chief Minister said the reason behind the step is to offer the athletes career security and motivate them to take part in competitions more and more.

The Chief Minister made reference to various mega sporting events that had been organised by the state in the recent past. He said that nearly 4 lakh people participated in the Bastar Olympics, which was held last year and around 3.5 lakh people participated in the Sarguja Olympics. The state also organized the country’s maiden Khelo India Tribal Games earlier this year, popularising the sporting talent of the indigenous community of the country.

Will these grassroots competitions be the breeding ground of the next India’s super stars?

A one of the priorities for the government is to provide quality competition to talented sportspersons and provide them with modern facilities and sustained support, Sai said. Work is ongoing to provide the athletes with the means to play at higher levels, he added.

Deputy Chief Minister and Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Arun Sao said the conclave would work towards putting Chhattisgarh at the forefront of the sport world in India. He attributed this to the consistent investment in sports development and welfare of athletes under the leadership of Chief Minister Sai.

Chhattisgarh has a physical and mental healthy youth set because of its geographical conditions, Sao said. The government is working on a program to discover sporting talent as early as primary school, and provide structured coaching and support to talented young people at an early age, he said.

Suggestions made by sports experts at the conclave would be the basis for a detailed action plan for implementation across the State, he added.

One announcement made policy come to life.

Sai gave financial awards to 11 individual winner of medals and three teams representing Chhattisgarh in Khelo India Tribal Games 2026. The incentives had been announced during the closing ceremony of the Games on April 3.

The Department of Sports and Youth Welfare of the state claimed 19 medals at the Khelo India Tribal Games comprising 03 Gold, 10 Silver and 06 Bronze medals for the state of Chhattisgarh.

The individual winners included Nikita who won a weightlifting gold medal. In weightlifting, Rishika Kashyap won a silver medal while swimming medalists Anushka Bhagat, Lakshman Sodhi, Abhishek, Damru Kumar, Gajendra Thakur and Tilak Barse won a silver medal each. Manish Kumar (Athletics), Nikhil Khalko (Swimming) and Lucky Babu (Weightlifting) were bronze medal winners.

The Chief Minister gave Rs. Rs. 2 lakhs each to the individual gold medalists. The number of lakh to each silver medallist is 1.5 lakh. 1,000,000 to each bronze winnner.

Significant incentives were also given to team performances. The women’s football team was the gold winner and got Rs. 22 lakh. The men’s football team, which claimed silver, was awarded Rs. The women’s hockey team got Rs. and the men’s hockey team got Rs. Went on to win bronze to make 9 lakh.

But, the conclave wasn’t only about rewarding past achievements. It also proved to be a platform for planning of the future of sports administration in Chhattisgarh.

The event featured prominent sports personalities from the Indian sports fraternity, such as Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Yashwant Kumar, Director, Tanuja Salam, Olympian Jinson Johnson, sports scientist, Dr Ratnesh Singh, Chhattisgarh Olympic Association Secretary General, Vikram Sisodiya, high-performance analyst, Ronak Kothari, PEFI National Secretary, Dr Piyush Jain, Deputy Director General of Khelo India, Mayank Srivastava and former international cricketer, Rajesh Chauhan. The athletes, coaches, district sports officers and representatives from sport associations from all over the state also participated in the Conclave.

The discussions focused on strengthening sports infrastructure, scientific training of athletes, focusing on talent identification and provisioning of support systems in the institutes that can help the athletes of Chhattisgarh perform at the national level in a consistent manner.

The inaugural Sports Conclave was more than a mere event; it was a symbol of the State’s commitment to fostering and nurturing athletes at the grassroots level, thereby laying the groundwork for enduring success in sporting competitions.