World-class infra, science-backed coaching, and data: Blueprint for making India sports powerhouse

India recently won 39 medals in the Commonwealth Games 2026, finishing fourth on the medal tally despite multiple games being dropped this time for the shortened version. The countries, which finished ahead of India were Canada (63 medals), England (110 medals), and Australia (171 medals) - all of them combined have less population than India but each has more medals. To make sure India realises its potential in the world sports, the things which need to be made top class are - infrastructure, facilities, coaches, nutrition, and opportunities to help the budding athletes grow.

Aazaz Khan, who serves as Director of Sports at Mumbai-bases Somaiya Sports Academy is doing his part to ensure all that at the Somaiya Vidyavihar University. WION recently spoke to Khan about his inspiration, plans, and strategy to help make India a global power in sports apart from cricket and he emphasised on "providing top class infra and facilities to students, identifying talent, and nurturing" them as the things to focus upon for his goal.

Also Read - Pondicherry U-19 coach Venkataraman faces FIR in alleged attack on players

"I was just an accidental sportsman in school but when I joined Grassroot Development of Youngsters community program during my stay in the UK, I realised that the matches at such starting level also get treated like international matches and that is my aim to reprise in India," Khan noted.

Khan is helping build the structure with top class coaches as well who, as the said, are "not PE teachers but understand the science behind the sports as well."

On things apart from coaches required to build an ecosystm, Khan said: "Data collection is very important so we made sure that every coach, every sport should have their own station. That's how it happened in US and Europe also. We make sure that the data is maintained that tomorrow it should not be a case where somebody comes up with the certificate for lying or not."

The Somaiya Sports Academy, under Khan as director of sports, also focusses upon nuturing children in all aspects and keep them pressure free. For this, the Academy, as Khan says, "involves parents as they are required to provide the support of sending them (athletes) every day. They are the one who support athletes when required, in case of an injury, diet plant, etc."

Currently, Somaiya has 70 coaches across sports and has given multiple athletes to India including Suraj Chand in squash who will be representing India in Asian Games as well. Somaiya also building unversities and schools around Mumbai including in Nashik to help identify talent from every area and offer underprivileged kids means to succeed.