Kerala's Olympic 2036 Vision: Ambitious Dream or Achievable Mission

By Dr C Ajithkumar
International Athletics Coach

Kerala's recently announced Olympic Path scheme aims to prepare 250 athletes from the state for the 2036 Summer Olympics. The initiative, introduced by the State Sports Minister, has generated significant excitement across the sporting community.

The critical question, however, is whether this objective is practical.

As someone who has spent more than 25 years in high-performance athletics, I believe the target is ambitious but not impossible. Success will depend entirely on execution rather than announcements.

The Timeline Advantage

Twelve years is a scientifically sound development window. Olympic-level athletes are not produced overnight. A proper Long-Term Athlete Development model requires eight to twelve years of structured progression from grassroots identification to elite performance.

If Kerala begins by identifying children in the 10 to 14 age category and systematically nurturing them, the 2036 horizon becomes realistic.

The Real Challenge: System, Not Numbers

Preparing 250 athletes for the Olympics should not be measured by participation alone. The real benchmarks must be:

  • How many athletes qualify
  • How many compete effectively at the world level
  • How many realistically contend for medals

Numbers without systems remain statistics. Systems create champions.

Kerala must move beyond traditional coaching models and adopt a high-performance framework that includes:

  • Scientific talent identification
  • Biomechanics and performance analysis
  • Integrated strength and conditioning systems
  • Sports psychology support
  • Injury prevention and recovery science
  • International competition exposure by the age of 18

Without these structural pillars, the target risks becoming symbolic rather than transformational.

Focus Over Fragmentation

Kerala should avoid attempting to dominate every Olympic discipline. Strategic focus is essential.

Based on existing strengths, priority sports could include athletics, boxing, wrestling, rowing, shooting, and selected team events. Concentrated investment in six to eight sports will produce significantly greater impact than spreading resources across more than thirty disciplines.

Coaching Reform is Non-Negotiable

The proposal to appoint multiple coaches at local levels is encouraging. However, quality must outweigh quantity. Coaches should be:

  • Certified and professionally trained
  • Continuously educated
  • Performance-accountable
  • Technologically equipped

A high-performance directorate with measurable Key Performance Indicators should monitor athlete progression annually.

Professional Verdict

Is the goal practical?

Yes, provided Kerala treats this as a mission rather than a political milestone.

If the state commits to data-driven athlete tracking, transparent selection processes, international benchmarking, performance-based funding, and long-term continuity beyond political cycles, then 2036 can mark a historic chapter in Kerala's sporting evolution.

However, if the initiative remains headline-driven without structural depth, it risks fading like many ambitious plans before it.

The difference between a dream and a medal lies in systems, science, and sustained commitment.

Kerala has talent. What it needs now is disciplined execution.

The road to 2036 begins today.