'From Legacy to Kranti, Future Belongs to Us' - Bihar’s DG of Sports Raveendran Shankaran on Sporting Renaissance in State | Exclusive

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For decades, Bihar has struggled to find recognition in the larger Indian sports ecosystem despite its rich legacy. Today, however, the tide is turning.

Under the leadership of the state government and the vision of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar is rapidly scripting a new chapter in Indian sports. The state recently hosted the Khelo India Youth Games, Sepak Takraw World Cup, Women's Asian Cup in Hockey, and is now hosting the Men's Hockey Asia Cup.

Rajgir, the old city of the Magadha Kingdom, in the illustrious Nalanda district of Bihar, has become the epicentre of this revolution. Amid its stunning topography, the new sports complex has been a boon for sports in this part of the world.

Director General of Bihar Sports, Mr. Raveendran Shankaran, spoke to MyKhel in an exclusive conversation, laid out how the state has transformed itself into a hub of grassroots development, infrastructure growth, and international hosting. Shankaran, who belongs from the Southern part of the nation, has been at the forefront of this sporting renaissance in the state, which aims for lofty heights.

Reviving a Forgotten Legacy

Bihar's sporting roots run deep. "In India, the Olympic movement started from Bihar only," Shankaran recalled, adding that the Indian Olympic Association was initiated and established in Patna, with its first Secretary General and President hailing from the state. Yet, the momentum faded over the years. That narrative, he insists, is changing.

" Bihar has its own sports legacy. So our honorable Chief Minister wanted to revive that. We were given a mandate to develop sports in a big way. Rather, I would like to state exact words of our Chief Minister. He said, 'Bihar mein ek kranti ka roop lena hai' (sports in Bihar must become a revolution)."

That mandate, given three years ago, became the foundation for sweeping reforms.

The Three Pillars: Scouting, Nurturing, Retaining

The revival began with a systematic approach based on three principles-talent scouting, nurturing, and retention.

"We went into the interiors of Bihar, into rural areas, and conducted talent scouting with experts. We hired many coaches from different parts of the country, as Bihar did not have enough coaches. And many good athletes from various disciplines were also sent outside Bihar for coaching," Shankaran explained.

Once potential was identified, athletes were given structured coaching, even outside the state when necessary. But the biggest challenge, he admitted, was retention.

To address this, Bihar introduced two landmark policies-

"Medal Lao, Naukri Pao" - "If you get a medal at a national or international level, immediately, without delay, you will be given a government job," said Shankaran. Last year, 77 sportspersons received jobs, including 17 as police sub-inspectors. This year, another 88 are in line.

The Sports Scholarship Policy in Bihar is divided into Prerna (grassroots), Saksham (national), and Udaan (international), the scheme offers scholarships ranging from ₹3 to ₹20 lakhs.

"These two policies really boosted our system," Shankaran said with pride.

The MGNREGA Scheme - A Welcome Revolution for Playgrounds in Bihar

Unlike states that prioritize massive stadiums, Bihar has adopted a unique philosophy. With the help of MGNREGA Scheme, Bihar is building various playgrounds at the Panchayat sectors, just to encourage and promote the grassroots level across the corners of the state.

"We don't want white elephants. Bihar's philosophy is not coming up with huge capacity stadiums with 40,000 spectators, which is very difficult to maintain." Shankaran says bluntly.

"Our philosophy is to create as many playgrounds as possible. My children need grounds to play - whether it's football, hockey, or volleyball. And now with MGNREGA scheme, every Panchayat is getting its own playground."

This move drew national praise, with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging other states to replicate it.

Alongside this, mini-stadiums are coming up in every block, nine commissionerates are receiving indoor sports complexes, and Rajgir is developing into a sports city spread over 100 acres. A dedicated Sports University and State Sports Academy in Rajgir further underline Bihar's commitment to long-term growth.

Hosting International Tournaments

Hosting major tournaments has become a symbol of Bihar's sporting emergence. From the Asian Rugby Championship to the Women's Asia Cup, and most recently the Khelo India Youth Games, Bihar has proved its organizational strength.

"This year, the Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir will be the biggest tournament Bihar has hosted," Shankaran said. Preparations have included a second international turf, upgraded athlete hostels, and improved local accommodation. "This time, unlike before, teams will stay within Rajgir itself - just 10 to 12 minutes from the stadium."

The Largest Talent Scouting Drive in India

Grassroots development is where Bihar's boldest experiment lies. In an unprecedented exercise, talent scouting has been conducted across 38,000 schools, covering nearly 50 lakh children aged 12-14. And moreover, they have a digital system to preserve the data of the athletes, which will be used for their nurturing and development.

"We have all their data - height, weight, endurance, stamina, explosive strength. We will be sharing it with many federations and coaches. And we will be scouting the best of them who are the probables for the future, to become future Olympians. This exercise has been going on for the past 7-8 months. I can proudly say this is the largest talent hunt programme in India, but this might turn out to be one of the largest talent scouting programs in the world. That is my conviction."

Girls Leading the Way

When asked about gender participation, Shankaran's answer was emphatic. It is a remarkable shift in a state where opportunities for women in sports were once scarce. Today, Bihar's daughters are not just competing but excelling.

"The majority of medals for Bihar have come from our girls' children. The more government jobs have been given to the girls' children. I take pride in saying, girls of Bihar are doing much, much better than the boys of Bihar."

Excelling in Hockey

For Shankaran, the Asia Cup is not just a tournament but a launchpad. Bihar is already collaborating with federations in athletics, weightlifting, rugby, and sepak takraw. Agreements with Hockey India will also include coach development, referee training, and grassroots coaching programs.

"We are tying up with Hockey India to conduct coach development programs, so that more and more coaches get developed in Bihar. And we are also planning to conduct technical courses for the referees. We need referees also, officials, umpires, things like that. And third, we are also going to have a MOU with them and conduct various types of coaching classes, coaching programs for our Bihar children who are in hockey. So, this is how we are going to proceed after this Asia Hockey Cup tournament."

Apart from that, the Rajgir stadium has been constructed up to the level of international hockey standards. For the Hero Asia Cup Hockey 2025 in Rajgir, they have added a second international-standard turf so teams can warm up close to the main stadium while matches are underway, meeting global requirements and ensuring smoother tournament operations.

Looking Ahead - A Five-Year Vision

Bihar is not going to stop anytime soon. A plethora of projects, developmental programmes are set to further elevate the sports ecosystem in the coming years. And Raveendran is set to be the key orchestrator of the proceedings.

"At Punpun, very close to Patna airport, the government is set to build a sports city in 100 acres of land. Apart from this, in Rajgir, in one campus, we have the sports university and the state sports academy to cater to both academic development, training and coaching camp."

His vision is clear - "It will take five years from now for Bihar to become the superpower of India in sports."

From forgotten legacy to future powerhouse, Bihar's journey is as inspiring as it is ambitious. With grassroots talent pools, inclusive policies, and pragmatic infrastructure, the state is showing what a focused approach can achieve. As the Director General puts it, "Bihar is now growing faster in the field of sports. We have proved that we are capable of hosting any kind of national or international event. The future belongs to us."