{
  "id": 956426,
  "title": "PM Modi calls India ‘stong contenders’ for 2036 Olympics, announces talent hunt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/pm-modi-calls-india-stong-contenders-for-2036-olympics-announces",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-15T04:32:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/pm-narendra-modi-india-2036-olympics-host-contender-talent-hunt-speech-10834277/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reaffirmed India's status as a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics during his Independence Day address at the Red Fort. Modi announced a nationwide talent hunt initiative to identify young athletes across all 40 Olympic disciplines to enhance India's chances of hosting the prestigious event. The government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) has shown success since its inception in 2014, with improvements in India's Olympic performance. Modi emphasized that India is currently not competitive in at least two-thirds of the 350 events, and the proposed talent hunt aims to train children aged 5 to 15 to become world-class athletes. The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be hosted in Ahmedabad, and the city is also in contention for the 2036 Olympics.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "‘Fragile 5 to fastest growing’: PM Modi on India's 80th I-Day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/fragile-5-to-fastest-growing-pm-modi-on-indias-80th-i-day",
        "published": "2026-08-15T02:38:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}