Overseas players to be approached as National Sports Policy 2025 aims to transform India as a sporting nation

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Allowing Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) to represent India in sport has been a widely discussed topic in recent years, especially in football, and National Sports Policy 2025, which replaces National Sports Policy 2001, intends to make that possible besides making the 2036 Olympics in the country a reality. read more
The inclusion of overseas players of Indian origin has been widely discussed in football in recent months. Image: PTI
In what could be a game-changing move for India in sports such as football, overseas players of Indian origin will be encouraged to play for the country as per National Sports Policy 2025, which was unveiled by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
The new policy, titled 'Khelo Bharat Niti 2025' in Hindi, replaces National Sports Policy 2001 and aims to reshape the country's sporting landscape by 2047 – on the 100th anniversary of India's independence from Britain – with the focus on hosting the Summer Olympics in 2036.
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Discussion on the inclusion of overseas players of Indian origin had gained momentum in recent months, especially after Bangladesh got former Leicester City defensive midfielder Hamza Choudhary on board, and with the Blue Tigers experience a sharp decline in their on-field performance which has resulted in a freefall in the FIFA rankings.
A 2008 ban on Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders from representing India has impacted the country's fortunes in sports such as football and tennis, leaving Indian passport holders as the only people eligible to play for the country which the new policy aims to rectify going forward.
The 20-page document, however, states that India makes mention of Peace and International Cooperation Activities through Sports, with New Delhi aiming to harness the power of sport and use it for international diplomacy and co-operation.
'Wherever feasible, promising and prominent Indian-origin athletes living abroad may be encouraged to come back and play for India at the international level,' it states.
'Together, these efforts can transform sport into a dynamic tool of cultural diplomacy and nation-building, strengthening the global Indian identity.'
'This is the next chapter in India's sports ecosystem'
Tennis legend Mahesh Bhupati, a multiple Grand Slam winner in men's as well as mixed doubles and has also co-founded the World Padel League, hailed the new policy for reflecting the country's ambition of becoming a 'global sporting powerhouse'.
'The National Sports Policy 2025 reflects India's growing ambition to be recognised as a global sporting powerhouse. What's exciting is that this policy doesn't just focus on established sports but also creates space for emerging ones like padel. The emphasis on building competitive leagues, developing infrastructure across rural and urban areas, and driving private sector collaboration is exactly what newer sports like padel need to flourish.
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'This is the next chapter in India's sports ecosystem - one that will fuel participation, investment, and global excellence. We are excited to be part of this journey by bringing the World Padel League to India and making padel a mainstream sport, as India broadens its sporting horizons. Here's to many more sporting milestones in the future!' Bhupathi said.
Nasir Ali, Founder and CEO of Gallant Sports, described it as a 'monumental day for Indian sports'.
'The approval of the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025 marks a monumental day for Indian sports and, by extension, the sports infrastructure sector. As a leading manufacturer in this space, we are incredibly enthusiastic about the policy's comprehensive vision—particularly its focus on strengthening sports programs from grassroots to elite levels, its commitment to developing infrastructure in both rural and urban areas, and its emphasis on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for economic development.
'The government's landmark decision to include sports infrastructure under the Harmonised Master List of Infrastructure Sub-sectors is a huge step forward, opening up institutional credit, attracting greater investment, and empowering companies like Gallant Sports to fast-track the creation of world-class facilities nationwide,' he said.
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Besides the inclusion of OCIs as well as helping India achieve its dream of hosting the Olympics, the National Sports Policy also eyes the revival of indigenous sports, inculcate a culture of fitness across the country at all ages