16-05-2025
State eyes National Games 2028, unveils mega push for sports
Bhopal: The state has put in a formal bid to host the 2028 National Games, with CM Mohan Yadav announcing on Friday that a proposal has been sent to the Centre and the Indian Olympic Association.
The event is proposed to be held between January and March 2028.
Chairing a review meeting of the sports and youth welfare department, Yadav said the state was determined to emerge as a sporting powerhouse. "We will leave no stone unturned in developing sports and athletes," he said, directing officials to ensure meticulous and timely preparations.
The CM highlighted that water tourism was being actively promoted in the state.
He directed that visitors to Bhopal should be able to enjoy natural and real experiences of water sports at both the Upper and Lower Lakes, with all necessary amenities and arrangements in place.
Yadav further announced that Bhopal would host the Asian Rowing Championship from October 14 to 19, 2025, at the Water Sports Training Centre in Khanugaon. The event is expected to attract around 450 athletes from over 22 countries.
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He directed that the Khanugaon venue be upgraded to meet international standards. This would enhance the branding of Bhopal Lake and strengthen the city's bid to host water sports in the 2036 Olympic Games. The event will also benefit water sports, tourism, and local businesses in the state.
The CM also said steps should be taken to establish a
sports university in Madhya Pradesh
. It was informed that certificate courses in sports coaching and allied subjects are being initiated in Bhopal and proposals are being invited from private investors for the university.
Besides, he also proposed showcasing traditional Indian sports like "Mallakhamb" through international demo events and suggested including games like tug of war, Indian-style archery, shooting ball, and "pithoo" in the Khelo MP Games.
The CM stressed the need for coordination between the sports department and departments like school education, higher education, technical education, and tribal affairs to nurture athletic talent.
He recommended integrating sports into school and college curricula and creating separate sports faculties at the college level. Adventure sports training programmes were also suggested for Omkareshwar and Pachmarhi, along with identifying more water venues across the state to benefit water tourism and local athletes.
The meeting was informed that the PARTH Scheme (Police-Army Recruitment Training House) was launched to prepare youth for physical and written exams for police and army recruitment.
The MP Yuva Portal and the 'Madhya Pradesh Yuva Prerak Yojana' are also in operation. There is also a scheme to appoint Vikram awardees and other national/international medalists to govt posts. The chief minister asked for a study of similar provisions in other states.
Yadav further directed that special focus be given to sports like Mallakhamb and Gymnastics, including efforts to establish international-level academies for these sports as required.
It was informed at the meeting that to promote sports tourism and establish Madhya Pradesh as a sports hub, an international sports complex worth Rs 985.76 crore is being developed in two phases at Nathu-Barkheda, Bhopal. In the first phase, international-level athletics, football, and hockey stadiums are being constructed. The second phase will include a multipurpose indoor complex, all-weather swimming pool, cross-country race track, and other outdoor facilities.
An International Sports Science Center is also proposed within the complex. In the third phase, an international cricket stadium will be built at the same site.
The meeting also noted recent achievements of MP athletes in sports: Dev Meena set a new national record in pole vault, and Samar Deep was selected for the Asian Athletics Championship 2025 (South Korea) in the shot put category. For the first time, Madhya Pradesh's men's hockey team reached the finals of the national hockey championship (Jhansi), securing second place after losing to Punjab.
