Every year on May 7, the world celebrates World Athletics Day 2026, an initiative started in 1996 by World Athletics to encourage young people to participate in sports and fitness activities. This year’s theme, “Sport: Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers,” highlights how sports can bring people together, promote discipline, and inspire healthier lifestyles among youth.
India has proudly produced legendary athletes across different sports, from cricket icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni to athletics legends like Milkha Singh and PT Usha. The country has also celebrated champions such as Dhyan Chand, Viswanathan Anand, Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, and Mary Kom.
However, while we celebrate these successful sports personalities, an important question remains, are we doing enough to support the next generation of athletes? According to a Moneycontrol report, 99% of Indian children enjoy sports, yet 1 in 4 physical education classes are cancelled. This shows that although interest in sports exists among students, proper encouragement and opportunities are still lacking.
Athletics includes basic sports activities such as running, jumping, throwing, race walking, marathons, and cross-country running. These sports test natural physical ability, discipline, and endurance, which is why athletics is often called the purest form of sport and remains one of the biggest highlights of the Olympic Games. While Indians enthusiastically watch international athletic events, the bigger question is whether our own country has enough infrastructure, training, and support systems to help young athletes grow and succeed.
Benefits of Taking Part in Athletics:
Athletics will not only give the youth the fame they need, to be seen on big screens or build a name. But athletics also is an important foundation of all sports. There are many benefits of how athletics has shown clear benefits in a human body. According to WHO and PMC, regular intense athletics strengthen the muscle strength, and improve cardiovascular functions. Although they carry risk to the body through injury, burnout and overtraining with the right training and guidance one can avoid any harm to the body. Other benefits of regular exercise and sports are as below.
It helps improve physical and mental health
It helps with better academic performance
Reduce the risk of major diseases like stroke, diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses.
Helps maintain body composition and overall weight.
It helps release endorphins a natural feel-good chemical that improves mood and reduces stress.
Athletics can also improve focus, memory and brain functions often leading to better academic performer in the youth.
While any sports or Athletics you learn to work in coordination to aim towards a common goal, this helps you communicate better and also teaches you problem solving skills.
You build leadership skills, learn self-discipline, time management and build a strong social network.
High-level athletics can lead to gaining scholarships and other academic support benefits like financial aid and even better grades.
You get the opportunity to represent yourself, your community, country amongst other nations.
The Current State of Athletics In India:
India has made noticeable progress in athletics over the years and has successfully hosted many major international sporting events. These include the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 1951 Asian Games, the 1982 Asian Games, multiple Cricket World Cups, the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and the 44th Chess Olympiad. These events show that India has the ability to organize sports on a global level.
The government has also introduced different schemes and reforms to improve sports in the country. In 2025, the National Sports Governance Act was passed to regulate and support national sports bodies. India has also increased funding for sports with the goal of becoming a global sporting powerhouse by 2036.
However, despite these efforts, many challenges still remain. Compared to countries like the United States, China, and Japan, India still lacks proper sports infrastructure and training facilities. Many stadiums, playgrounds, and training spaces are either limited or not properly maintained. Young athletes in several parts of the country still struggle to find safe and suitable places to practice.
Basic facilities for athletics such as running tracks, open grounds, and jogging spaces are often poorly maintained. Roads used for marathons or daily running are uneven, dug up, or unsafe. In many areas, large infrastructure projects focus mainly on buildings, housing, and roads, while sports facilities receive less attention.
India is now considered one of Asia’s stronger athletics nations, but there are still gaps in coaching, equipment, training, and awareness. Another major concern is the issue of doping violations, which highlights the need for better education, discipline, and governance in sports culture.
Although India has the talent and potential to grow in athletics, stronger support systems and better infrastructure are needed to help young athletes succeed.
How India Compares Globally
1. Grassroots Development
Countries like the United States, Jamaica, and Kenya invest heavily in school-level athletics:
Structured inter-school competitions
Talent scouting from a young age
Strong coaching ecosystems
India, while improving through initiatives like Khelo India, still lacks consistent grassroots integration across all schools.
2. Sports Culture
In nations like Jamaica, sprinting is part of national identity. In Kenya, long-distance running is deeply embedded culturally.
In India, however:
Cricket dominates attention and funding
Athletics often takes a backseat in media and sponsorship
3. Infrastructure & Access
Developed nations provide:
Accessible stadiums
Professional coaching
Sports science support
India still faces:
Uneven infrastructure (urban vs rural divide)
Limited access to trained coaches
Lack of sports science integration at grassroots
Are We Doing Enough?
The honest answer: Not yet, but we are improving.
India is often described as an “untapped market” for athletics, with enormous potential due to its youth population.
However, potential alone doesn’t translate into performance. The current system still struggles with:
Inconsistent school-level sports programs
Academic pressure limiting sports participation
Lack of awareness among parents about sports careers
What Needs to Be Done To Promote Athletics
1. Strengthen School-Level Athletics
Make athletics compulsory in physical education
Organize structured inter-school competitions
Identify talent early
2. Build Better Sports Infrastructure
Develop local tracks and training centers
Ensure rural access to facilities
3. Invest in Coaching & Sports Science
Train certified coaches
Integrate nutrition, physiotherapy, and psychology
4. Increase Community Participation
Local communities can organize run clubs, fitness camps, sports workshops and training programs to encourage young people to stay active.
Schools can also promote outdoor sports and conduct inter-school and inter-college sports competitions among students.
5. Increase Government & Private Funding
Expand programs like Khelo India
Encourage corporate sponsorships
6. Tackle Governance Issues
Strengthen anti-doping awareness and enforcement
Ensure transparency in sports federations
7. Encourage daily-physical activity
Schools can introduce compulsory physical education programs together with morning exercise sessions and yoga classes and weekly sports tournaments to motivate students to maintain their physical fitness.
At home, families can encourage children to spend at least 30 minutes every morning exercising, walking, stretching, or playing outdoor sports to build healthy habits.
8. Promote Athletes through Social Media
Sports organizations, teachers, sports activists, companies etc can make use of social media platform like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube to promote new athletes and share their success stories.
They can also conduct campaigns and challenges to take up for better physical activity and encourage the youth.
9. Highlight Upcoming Sports Champions and Events
Promoting upcoming sports events and letting students be a part of it, encourages young people to take interest in the particular sport. This also gives upcoming athletes a chance to showcase their skills.
Schools and sports organizations can invite successful athletes like Neeraj Chopra for motivational talks and workshops to inspire students.
10. Reduce Academic Pressure Around Sports
Parents, schools and teachers should support sports alongside academics instead of treating it as a distraction this discourages the child to participate in any sports as pressure builds up to get good grades.
They must teach children to have a well-balanced approach to sports and academics.
11. Conduct Awareness Campaigns on Healthy Living
World Athletics Day is also an effort to promote balanced nutrition, healthy living, regular exercise and mental wellness.
Health Awareness campaigns must be carried out in vicinities to help promote the benefits of physical activity and healthy living.
12. Encourage Family Support
Families must support choices of youngsters if they want to make sports as their career and not demotivate them.
They must limit excessive screen time and encourage them to play outdoors.
Parents should not always force their children to win a sports tournament, but should rather recognize and encourage their efforts.
World Athletics Day 2026 is more than just a celebration of sports—it is a reminder of the importance of fitness, discipline, teamwork, and healthy living among young people. While India has made progress in promoting athletics, there is still a long way to go in creating equal opportunities, better infrastructure, and stronger support systems for youth athletes.
By encouraging participation at schools, improving facilities, supporting athletes, promoting healthy lifestyles, and involving families and communities, athletics can become an essential part of youth development. With the right efforts from parents, educators, governments, and society, India can inspire a new generation that values sports not only as competition, but as a way of life.
