Kapil Dev, Baichung Bhutia, Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand & Gagan Narang join forces to shape India’s Olympic future

Hyderabad: Legendary icons Kapil Dev, Baichung Bhutia, Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand, and Gagan Narang have come together in a first-of-its-kind governance initiative for Indian sports. This integrated approach aims to strengthen grassroots talent, optimise infrastructure, and drive excellence for robust, holistic sports development.

By creating clear athlete pathways and aligning with the state’s progressive sports policy, the initiative positions Telangana at the forefront of India’s sporting ambitions, leading the charge in a nationwide sports revolution.

These sporting legends, together with leading administrators and top industry figures, make up the newly constituted Board of Governors of the Telangana Sports Development Fund (TSDF). This pioneering public–private model is designed to strengthen grassroots systems, foster excellence across disciplines, and serve as a national blueprint for nurturing India’s next generation of champions.

The Board brings together on-ground sporting wisdom with institutional and corporate expertise, featuring influential leaders such as RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group Chairman Dr Sanjiv Goenka, whose strategic investments span Indian sport, including cricket, and Vita Dani, whose pivotal role has elevated Indian table tennis to new heights. It also includes women in sports visionaries like Kavya Maran, CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Upasana Kamineni Reddy, Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Foundation, who bring fresh perspectives and a strong commitment to inclusive sporting growth.

“I believe this sports policy will go a long way in developing sports not only for our state but also for the country. Telangana has a proud legacy of sporting achievements, and I am confident that if India is to become a true sporting superpower, we must look at sports as a pillar of holistic development and bringing this governing body will help to look at giving sports development a real shot,” said Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who launched the initiative as part of the state’s new, expansive sports policy on Saturday. IANS

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