BIHAR: Bihar preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles may sound unusual. For years, the state struggled to make its mark in national sports. Until 2022, Bihar was absent from the national medal tally, but things are changing.
The state is now working to see that at least two athletes qualify for the 2028 Olympics. Director general-cum-chief executive officer of Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA), Raveendran Sankaran, confirmed the plan. “Yes, we are preparing for the 2028 Olympics,” he said.
The BSSA has identified four sports where Bihar athletes can compete with promise: Rugby, Sepak Takraw, Fencing, and Archery.
Long Dry Spell
Undivided Bihar once had a legacy in sports. However, after the creation of Jharkhand in 2000, BSSA’s role reduced to hosting a handful of events annually. In the past there was no focus on nurturing talent. For more than two decades, sports in Bihar dried up. Medals became a distant dream. It was only from 2022 that signs of revival appeared.
In the past three years, BSSA has hosted national and international tournaments. Importantly, it has begun planning in a novel way. “Why not? We have a source of inspiration and guide like Raveendran Sankaran, who comes from an athlete family,” said a BSSA official.
Things changed when Bihar athletes won two medals in Gujarat, followed by seven in Goa. Bihar won five medals at the 2024 Asian Games and 12 medals in the National Games in Uttarakhand. The medal in the women’s triple lawn bowls event was the first for Bihar at the National Games in 25 years. This progress lifted Bihar’s position to 21st among Indian states. “After all, a medal is a medal whether it comes from Kabaddi or some other sports,” remarked Sankaran.
New investments
Behind Behind this change is investment and planning. When Sankaran took charge in March 2023, his first step was to register the BSSA. Until then, the body was unregistered and so didn’t have a dedicated budget. “When I joined BSSA, its annual budget was just Rs 30 crore, which rose to Rs 800 crore in 2025,” he said. He gives the credit to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, “who took personal interest in promoting sports activities in the state”, Sankaran said.
Several new initiatives were launched. The “Medal Lao, Naukri Pao” scheme promised government jobs to medal winners. So far, 71 athletes have been appointed through this route, and 87 more are awaiting appointment letters. To ensure fairness in the process, BSSA established an online portal, allowing athletes to apply directly.
“Earlier, sportsmen had to wait for years to get an appointment letter as the process was cumbersome,” Sankaran explained. Now the system delivers jobs within three to four months. Additionally, 38 Eklavya Sports Schools were established across Bihar. Elite sports facilities were also created, most notably at Rajgir in the Nalanda district. The Rajgir Sports Complex, spanning 97.9 acres, was inspired by the Colorado Springs model in the United States. It includes the Bihar Sports University and training facilities for 24 sports disciplines, both indoor and outdoor.
The centrepiece is an international cricket stadium, while the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna is also being rebuilt to host national and international matches.
Hosting Events
These facilities are already in use. In July 2023, Patna hosted the first Indian Open Athletics Meet at the Pataliputra Sports Complex, organised in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India. Around 400 athletes from across the country took part.
In 2024, the Women’s Asian Championship Trophy was held at Rajgir in Nalanda under the International Hockey Federation umbrella. The Khelo India Youth Games followed in May 2025, then the U20 Asian Rugby 7s tournament in August, and the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup later the same year.
Struggle to Hope
For athletes, this change is significant. Shailesh, the first Bihari to win a gold medal in the Para Asian Games, recalled how difficult it was earlier. Chandan, an Asian Games gold medal winner, along with Komal in Kabaddi and Rajnish in cycling, faced the same struggle. “When we were preparing, we did not have the required infrastructure and training facilities. But that is a past,” they said.
Now, the BSSA, under Sankaran and his 65-member team, has shown what dedication and support can achieve. It has taken persuasion, perseverance, and passion to build a new base for Bihar’s sports. The goal is now clear: athletes from Bihar competing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“It required a lot of dedication, persuasion, perseverance, and above all passion to do something extraordinary for the state’s promising sportsmen,” said an official in Patna. The journey that began with no medals until 2022 has reached a point where medals are becoming a regular occurrence. The next step, Bihar hopes, is to see its athletes on the Olympic stage.
Online portal to get govt jobs
Several new initiatives were launched. The “Medal Lao, Naukri Pao” scheme promised govt jobs to medal winners. So far, 71 athletes have been appointed through this route, and 87 more are awaiting appointment letters. To ensure fairness in the process, BSSA established an online portal