Mary Kom and Bhutia stress grassroots focus at Khelo India Tribal Games

Mary Kom and Bhaichung Bhutia emphasised the need for grassroots investment and structured development at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026. They urged families to encourage sports participation and highlighted the role of initiatives in nurturing young talent

Hyderabad: Six-time World Championship medallist Mary Kom and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia underlined the importance of grassroots investment and structured development pathways while addressing reporters at the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026 in Raipur on Friday.

For creating future champions, both the legends maintained that Indian families need to discourage children from spending more time on screens and instead encourage them to go to playgrounds and take part in various sports.

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Bhutia, one of Indian football’s most iconic figures, stressed that while initiatives like KITG are a strong starting point, long-term success depends on strengthening the foundation of sport in the country. Reflecting on his own journey, he pointed to the role played by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in nurturing young athletes at a time when sporting infrastructure was still evolving.

“I have been a SAI product, from the first batch in 1986. Investing at the grassroots level is needed, but we tend to overlook that and only focus on the top level,” Bhutia said, emphasising the need for sustained attention at the base of the sporting pyramid.

“Tribal communities naturally have immense sporting talent, and we have seen this very clearly, particularly from the Northeast, where many athletes have represented India well and brought recognition to the country. Giving young people a platform is very important,” Bhutia said.

“See, when I talk about where I come from, I always say this everywhere, when you are from the Northeast, you do two things: football or music. That was my environment. Growing up, no other sport was played by the other kids around me. Football was the culture in Sikkim, in every village, every town.”

Echoing his views, Mary Kom praised the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) as a transformative initiative that can bridge long-standing gaps in access and awareness.

“First of all, I want to congratulate the Chhattisgarh Government for organising the Games. In earlier times, they did not get platforms like this, and there was not enough awareness either. That is perhaps why many talented children could not advance further,” the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist boxer said.

“But today, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s Khelo India and Fit India programmes, children are slowly taking the initiative, participating, and representing the country. This is a tremendous thing for India’s sporting future,” she said.