'If more women take up sports, India’s medal count will improve in big events': MoS for Sports Raksha Khadse

Aurangabad, March 8 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, on Sunday said that India’s medal tally at the Summer Olympic Games and other multi-disciplinary events can improve significantly if women’s participation in sports increases substantially.

Khadse said during the launch of nationwide athletics league at 250 locations across the subcontinent under the ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) programme here at the Divisional Sports Complex, Garkheda, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The MoS also inaugurated yoga, wushu, kickboxing and weightlifting leagues under the ASMITA banner besides flagging off a cyclothon and walkathon, being organised by Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, in collaboration with My Bharat, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, and Maharashtra State Sports Department to promote fitness, sports participation, and women empowerment.

Terming ASMITA as a catalyst for improving India’s medal count in international competitions, Khadse said, “International Women’s Day reminds us that women’s rights, dignity, and equal opportunities are not just a social necessity, but the foundation of nation building. By providing opportunities to women, the entire society becomes empowered. That is what we are doing through ASMITA, which was launched in 2021 by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“ASMITA is helping us identify talent from the grassroots, from rural, tribal, school-level background. When participation increases, talent pool increases, competition gets better and then medal count also improves. If more women start taking up sports, we will improve our performance in big events. So, ASMITA in a way is a catalyst in improving medal count at international competitions like Olympics.”

Till now, the ASMITA League has witnessed participation of almost 3 lakh women in 33 disciplines across 2600 leagues. In 2025-26, around 1.59 lakh women have already participated in 1287 leagues.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the ASMITA athletics league was conducted in three different race classes – 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres – for girls of age under-13, 13-18 and 18-plus categories across 250 locations nationwide. A total of 2 lakh girls participated in the one-day event, which was implemented in collaboration with MY Bharat, Khelo India Centres (KICs), SAI ecosystem & NCOEs, State & District Sports Associations as well as District Youth Officers (DYOs).

“Let every district become active in sports, every daughter become confident, and fitness become a national habit. Through Khelo India, Fit India, MY Bharat, and ASMITA, we are building a stronger, fitter, and empowered India. Under the vision of Prime Minister, India’s sports ecosystem is continuously becoming more inclusive and women-centric,” Khadse said.

--IANS

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