Mansukh Mandaviya has been appointed as the new Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet. He replaces Anurag Thakur, who held the post since July 2021. Mandaviya, who represents the Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, defeated his Congress rival by a margin of 3.83 lakh votes.
Apart from the sports portfolio, Mandaviya has also been assigned the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has held various positions in the party and government, including as Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home.
During Thakur’s tenure, India achieved its best-ever performance at the Olympics, winning a record seven medals at the Tokyo Games. The government also decided to make medal winners in all Khelo India competitions eligible for government jobs. India has also started making a pitch to host the 2036 Olympic Games for the first time ever.
Mandaviya’s appointment comes as the government focuses on promoting sports and fitness in the country. The Khelo India program, launched in 2017, has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing young sporting talent. The government has also set a target of making India one of the top-five medal winning nations in the world.
