Bihar, once lagging behind in sports infrastructure, is now rewriting its athletic future with a massive investment in facilities, training, and events. With youth making up over 30% of the state’s population, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has made sports a political and developmental priority.
From Neglect to National Stage
Until early 2024, Bihar’s sporting reputation was marred by dilapidated stadiums like the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna. But today, new multi-crore sports complexes, a dedicated sports university, and revamped facilities are giving the state a fresh identity.
Notably, the state’s sports budget jumped from ₹30 crore in 2022-23 to ₹568 crore in 2025-26, signaling a clear intent to uplift Bihar’s youth through sports.
Infrastructural Overhaul
The crown jewel of this transformation is the Rajgir Sports Academy and Sports University. Built for ₹750 crore on a 90-acre campus, it includes indoor and outdoor arenas across 24 sports. A 40,000-capacity international cricket stadium is also underway and expected to host matches by year-end.
Simultaneously, Bihar is building a ₹100-crore sports complex in Punpun near Patna as part of its vision for a full-fledged sports city.
Taking Sports to the Villages
Infrastructure alone isn’t enough. So, Bihar is decentralizing sports to the block and panchayat level. Out of 534 blocks, 252 already have outdoor stadiums. Another 64 are under construction, and plans for 163 more are in the pipeline.
In schools too, the government launched the Mashal talent hunt, involving 38,000 institutions. Talented students now compete at block, district, and state levels in sports like kabaddi, athletics, football, and badminton.
Medals for Jobs, Scholarships for Talent
In a bid to offer real incentives, Bihar started the ‘Medal Lao, Naukri Pao’ scheme. Athletes winning national or international medals get Class 1 government jobs directly. So far, 71 sportspersons have benefitted.
On the scholarship front, 123 athletes receive up to ₹5 lakh annually. High-performing athletes now earn scholarships of up to ₹20 lakh/year for training, nutrition, travel, and gear.
Recognition at the National Level
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Bihar’s sports initiatives during the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games 2025. Bihar also hosted events like the Sepak Takraw World Cup and Ranji Trophy matches last year.
Challenges Remain
Despite the progress, experts highlight persisting gaps. “There’s still no structured sports period in schools, and trained coaches are lacking,” said Mrityunjay Tiwari, president of the Bihar Players Association.
Yet the recent jump in performance is notable. Bihar won 36 medals at the 2025 Khelo India Games — a 620% increase from the previous year. The government is now developing 6,659 new sports grounds across 5,671 gram panchayats and launching talent hunts involving 60 lakh students from 40,000 schools.
