News18 India to host 'Jazba' sports platform in Delhi
Hindi news channel News18 India will host 'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' in Delhi on September 18, bringing together sportspersons, policymakers, administrators and industry representatives. Panel discussions will cover grassroots development, sports infrastructure, Olympic ambitions, sports policy and the sports economy. Announced speakers include Mansukh Mandaviya, Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Thakur, Dilip Tirkey, Rani Rampal, Yogeshwar Dutt, Ishant Sharma and Deepa Malik. The platform will focus on journeys and challenges behind sporting achievements.
Source
News18 — India · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- News18 India will host 'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' in Delhi on September 18. — Date and venue city appear in the source; an AI-generated block in the same article states September 18, 2026, while the article's publication date is listed as September 17, 2026.
- Speakers include Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Kiren Rijiju, MP Anurag Thakur and Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. — Names and designations listed in the source; no independent confirmation possible.
- Sportspersons such as Ishant Sharma, Yogeshwar Dutt, Rani Rampal, Deepa Malik and Dilip Tirkey will participate. — Listed in the source with their titles and honours; not externally verifiable.
- Shubham Juyal and Sharmila Dhankar are described as Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists. — Description appears in the source without attribution; editor should check given the timeline.
- Quotes on India's sporting juncture from Jyoti Kamal and Mitul Sangani. — Directly attributed to named Network18/News18 India executives in the source.
Analysts’ view opinion
Talking about the ecosystem behind the medals, rather than just the medal count, is exactly the conversation Indian sport needs — and that is the real strength of the 'Jazba' platform. Having central sports policymakers, state sports ministers, the Hockey India president and Olympic and Paralympic medallists on one stage creates a rare chance to address grassroots, infrastructure and funding flows in the same room. That said, this remains a discussion event; nothing in the story promises that ideas raised here will translate into policy.
- The speaker list spans hockey, cricket, wrestling, boxing, athletics, Mallakhamb and para sport — a genuinely broad spread rather than one discipline dominating.
- The presence of Union, Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana sports portfolios in one room underlines how central states have become to talent development.
- Deepa Malik alongside para shot put athletes on the same panel line-up fits the wider trend of pulling para sport into the mainstream conversation.
- Names like Rani Rampal, Dilip Tirkey and Sardara Singh suggest hockey's structural rebuild and the pathway for women's sport are likely to get particular attention.
- Listing the 'sports economy' as a theme raises the sharper question of whether sponsorship and industry money is reaching the grassroots or staying at the elite end.
What to watch — Watch whether concrete proposals emerge on grassroots academies, coaching quality and Olympic timelines, or whether the discussion stays at the level of general celebration.
The story does not establish that every announced speaker will actually attend, nor that any suggestion made at the event will feed into policy.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 2 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
News18 India, described in the source as India's No. 1 Hindi news channel, is organising a national sports conclave titled 'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' in Delhi on September 18. The platform is billed as first-of-its-kind, assembling sportspersons, Union and state ministers, sports administrators, para-athletes and industry representatives. Instead of focusing only on medals, it is designed to spotlight the ecosystem behind achievement — coaches, families, academies, institutions and policymakers. Panel discussions are slated to cover grassroots development, infrastructure, Olympic ambitions, sports policy, innovation and the sports economy.
Key facts
- 'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' will be hosted by News18 India in Delhi on September 18; the story was first published September 17, 2026, 18:05 IST.
- The source describes the event as a 'first-of-its-kind national platform' celebrating not just victories but journeys, challenges and the people behind Indian sporting achievements.
- Themes listed: grassroots development, sports infrastructure, Olympic ambitions, sports policy, innovation and the rapidly expanding sports economy.
- Union ministers announced as speakers: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya (Labour and Employment; Youth Affairs & Sports) and Kiren Rijiju (Parliamentary Affairs; Minority Affairs).
- State ministers listed: Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, AVSM (Retd.) of Rajasthan; Shreyasi Singh, Minister of Industries & Sports, Bihar; Gaurav Gautam, MoS Sports, Haryana.
- Administrators and MPs include Anurag Thakur, MP and former Minister of I&B and Youth Affairs & Sports, and Dilip Tirkey, President, Hockey India and Olympian.
- Athlete speakers include Rani Rampal (Padma Shri, Khel Ratna, Arjuna), Yogeshwar Dutt (Olympic medallist), Deepa Malik (Paralympian, Khel Ratna), Ishant Sharma, Sardara Singh and Sandeep Patil (1983 World Cup winner).
- Para shot put athletes Shubham Juyal and Sharmila Dhankar, both described as Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists, are listed among participants.
Timeline
- September 17, 2026News18 announces the line-up and themes for 'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' (story first published 18:05 IST).
- September 18'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' scheduled to be held in Delhi with panel discussions and conversations.
Who has a stake
- News18 India / Network18 — Hosting the platform; Managing Editor Jyoti Kamal and CEO Mitul Sangani frame it as using the network's reach to mainstream sporting stories and the sports economy.
- Union and state sports ministries — Ministers from the Centre, Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana will present and defend policy on grassroots systems, infrastructure and Olympic ambitions.
- National federations and administrators — Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey and other administrators face questions on athlete support and ecosystem gaps.
- Athletes, para-athletes and grassroots heroes — Olympians, Paralympians and Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists get a forum to voice setbacks, access gaps and career pathways.
- Coaches, families and academies — The event explicitly spotlights the wider ecosystem that nurtures talent, including coaches such as Mallakhamb coach Uday Vishwanath Deshpande.
- Sports industry and young aspirants — Industry representatives discuss the expanding sports economy; the platform aims to encourage more young people to pursue sporting careers.
Why it matters
India's sporting conversation is shifting from medal counts to the systems that produce medals — grassroots pipelines, infrastructure, athlete welfare and a growing sports economy. A platform that puts ministers, federation heads, Olympians and para-athletes in the same room can surface the gaps that usually stay off the scoreboard. As Jyoti Kamal put it, Indian sport is at an important juncture, with remarkable performances but significant work left to widen access for young talent.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- 'Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak' — News18 India sports platform, Delhi, September 18.
- Dilip Tirkey: President, Hockey India; former Indian hockey captain and Olympian.
- Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya holds Labour and Employment plus Youth Affairs & Sports portfolios; Kiren Rijiju holds Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs.
- Rani Rampal and Deepa Malik are listed as recipients of Padma Shri, Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards.
- Sandeep Patil: 1983 World Cup winner and former chairman of the BCCI Selection Committee.
- Uday Vishwanath Deshpande: Mallakhamb coach and Padma Shri awardee.
Mains framing
India's recent sporting rise has been celebrated largely through podium finishes, but the News18 India 'Jazba' platform frames the real question as ecosystem depth: whether grassroots systems, infrastructure, coaching, institutional support and financing can convert isolated success into sustained pipelines. The stated agenda — grassroots development, infrastructure, Olympic ambitions, sports policy, innovation and the sports economy — maps onto the structural gaps that keep talent from small towns and para-sport out of the mainstream, a point underlined by the presence of para-athletes, Mallakhamb coaches and state-level cricket captains alongside Union ministers and federation heads. Media platforms of this kind matter because they create accountability space where policymakers, administrators and athletes speak to the same audience, and because visibility itself shapes participation choices among the young. The way forward suggested by the source is convergence: shared learning across states, wider opportunities and greater athlete support, with the growing sports economy harnessed to fund the base rather than only the elite tier. Any assessment, however, must note that the source describes intent and a speaker list, not measurable policy outcomes.
Key terms
- Jazba: Jadon Se Shikhar Tak
- News18 India's sports platform in Delhi on September 18; the Hindi title translates roughly as 'passion: from roots to the summit'.
- Sports economy
- The rapidly expanding commercial ecosystem around sport — leagues, sponsorship, careers and industry — listed as a key discussion theme.
- Grassroots development
- Building sport at school, district and community level so talent is identified and supported early; a central agenda item at the event.
- Khel Ratna / Arjuna / Padma Shri
- India's top sporting and civilian honours; several speakers including Rani Rampal and Deepa Malik are listed as recipients.
- Hockey India
- The national governing body for hockey, headed by Dilip Tirkey, who is among the announced speakers.
Practice questions
- Beyond medal counts, what structural reforms does India need in its sporting ecosystem to sustain performance at the Olympic and Paralympic level? Discuss.
- Examine the role of media platforms and public conversation in shaping sports policy and youth participation in India.
- How can the growing sports economy be leveraged to strengthen grassroots infrastructure and athlete welfare, particularly for para-athletes? Comment.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.