https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Bihar’s Sports Transformation: From Lagging Behind to Olympics

The unexpected selection of Shreyashi Singh for the Olympics has brought immense pride to Bihar, showcasing the state’s emerging talent under the dedicated efforts of IPS officer Raveendran Sankaran.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The Indian men’s cricket team has made the nation proud by clinching the T20 World Cup, ending a decade-long drought. With this triumphant victory behind them, the focus now shifts to the upcoming Olympics, set to commence on July 26th. Over 100 athletes have qualified to represent India on this prestigious international stage. Among them is Ms. Shreyashi Singh, a talented trap shooter from Bihar. Her unexpected selection has brought joy and pride to her home state, which had been eyeing success in the 2028 Olympics.

This success is the result of the vision of 1995 batch and Bihar cadre IPS officer and Director General cum CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, Mr. Raveendran Sankaran, who has been committed to reviving the state’s sports legacy. Bihar, once lagging in sports, is now experiencing a positive transformation. In recent years, Bihar organized two sports conclaves and developed a plan to rebuild its sports heritage. Remarkably, the state jumped from 30th to 14th place in the National School Games. The state’s sub-junior kabaddi team defeated Haryana in a competition held in Madurai this year. For the first time in 30-35 years, a boy from Bihar was part of the Indian team at the World Championship in Argentina. Additionally, five athletes from Bihar – four boys and one girl – represented India at the Asian Games in China, where Mr. Shailesh Kumar won a gold medal. 

IPS Raveendran Sankaran
IPS Raveendran Sankaran (Right)

Mr. Raveendran Sankaran who also serves as ADG of the Bihar Military Police took charge of BSSA around two years ago. Under his leadership, Bihar has shifted its focus from building large infrastructures and organizing big events to talent scouting. Collaborating with veterans and Dronacharyas like P. Gopichand, Kunji Rani Devi, and Sreedhran, various camps have been held to identify and nurture talent in weightlifting, volleyball, archery, athletics, and badminton.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Raveendran Sankaran expressed his pride and happiness at Ms. Shreyashi Singh’s selection, stating, “We are happy and proud with the selection of Ms. Singh, but it isn’t the goal. We will continue our preparation until Bihar carves a special place in sports.”

In addition to Ms. Singh, Shailesh Kumar, who won a gold medal at the Asian Games, is expected to be selected for the Paralympics, and Mr. Raveendran is hopeful that he will bring home a medal as well. In this exclusive video interview, Mr. Raveendran discusses the selections of Ms. Singh and Mr. Kumar, his plans to revive other sports in Bihar, including kabaddi, and his reasons for focusing on lesser-known games.

Link here: 

FOCUSING ON LESSER KNOWN GAMES 

As states like Haryana is doing great in wrestling and kabaddi, and Kerala and Tamil Nadu are champions in volleyball, it leave a very tough spot for any other to enter these sports and conquer. But, it is not impossible, Mr. Sankaran said confidently, adding that it will require another 5-6 years to reach that level. Under his leadership, Bihar has opted for a different approach. It is focusing more on games like rugby, wushu, sepak takraw (volleyball played with feet and head), jujitsu, dragon boat, etc. These games might not be popular but are part of various national games, Asian Games and even Olympics. The strategy has worked, as Bihar is already a champion in rugby, in sub-junior boys and girls and junior boys and girls. 

“Medal is a medal, whether it comes from a popular or unpopular game. If we win a medal, we automatically rise in the tally,” Mr. Sankaran said. He further informed that they are focusing more on individual games rather than team games. The number of medals and events in a team game is less. Whereas, in athletics, wushu, cycling, swimming, weightlifting and other such games, there are more events due to the weight category and, hence, chances of winning medal is also high.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
HSL CMD Khatri
Upskill to Stay Ahead: HSL CMD Cmde Khatri’s Call to Maritime Sector at BIMSTEC 2025
IPS A.B
HC Clears Former Top Cop: Andhra Ends All Legal Action Against IPS Venkateswara Rao
Minister Sonowal
Hydrogen Tug Project Gets Boost as Minister Sonowal Backs Hindustan Shipyard (HSL)’s Vision - Details Inside
IOCL and SJVN
PESB Invites Applications for Director Posts in IOCL and SJVN; Deadlines Set for August 11
IREDA logo 1
IREDA Seeks Shareholder Nod to Raise Borrowing Limit to ₹1.5 Lakh Crore; Pushes for Massive RE Financing
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
Punjab Promotes 8 IPS Officers to DGP Rank, Now Has Nation’s Highest Number of Top-Rank Police Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
The Secret of The Secret – How To Make The Universe Conspire For You
AI 171 CRASH
AAIB Initial Probe In AI-171 Crash Questioned By Aviation Experts
Ravi Kapoor
Why Ex-IRS Officer Ravi Kapoor Walked Away from Power
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-14 at 15.58
The Economist Who Became an IFS Officer
How Abhimanyu Gahlaut balanced global economics and civil services dreams to crack UPSC with AIR 38
Disha Dwivedi UPSC
How Disha Dwivedi Conquered UPSC on Her Sixth Attempt
Disha Dwivedi’s UPSC journey from five prelims failures to securing AIR 672 in 2024 showcases strategic...
Sushmitha and Ishwarya Ramanathan
Their Home Was Washed Away — Sushmitha & Ishwarya Built a Legacy Instead
Sushmitha and Ishwarya lost their home to the 2004 tsunami. But with books, belief, and each other, they...
Social Media
Standing Leopard
Leopard Stuns Internet by Standing on Two Legs Like a Meerkat
A rare video of a leopard standing on two legs in Kruger Park stuns viewers and goes viral across social...
G S Roshni
Kerala’s Fearless Forest Officer G.S. Roshni Rescues 16-Foot King Cobra with Bare Hands, Garners Praise & Critique
Beat Forest Officer G.S. Roshni’s first-ever king cobra rescue goes viral, earning her the title of ‘Green...
Kaziranga Baby Elephant
Chotu the Baby Elephant Reunited with Mother in Kaziranga: Retired IFS Officer’s Post Goes Viral
A baby elephant's emotional reunion with its mother in Kaziranga, shared by retired IFS officer Susanta...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
AI 171 CRASH
Ravi Kapoor
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT