The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will organise a nationwide athletics league at 250 locations on International Women’s Day, 8 March, under the ASMITA programme. The initiative aims to promote women’s participation in sport, identify new talent, and strengthen the country’s grassroots sports ecosystem. It is expected to draw about 2,50,000 women athletes in a single day across more than 30 States and Union Territories.
ASMITA Programme and Khelo India Link
ASMITA stands for Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action. It is part of Khelo India’s gender-neutral mission to promote sport among women through leagues and competitions. The Sports Authority of India supports National Sports Federations in conducting women’s leagues at zonal and national levels. Since its launch in 2021, the programme has expanded steadily across the country.
Scale of Participation and Reach
- More than 2,600 leagues have been held so far.
- Competitions have taken place in 34 sports disciplines.
- The programme has reached over 550 districts and 700 cities.
- More than 3,00,000 women have participated.
- It has also reached remote regions, including parts of the North-east and areas affected by Left-wing extremism.
Event Format and Capacity Building
The upcoming league will focus on athletics events such as 100m, 200m and 400m races. It will cover Under-13, 13-18 years and 18+ categories. Each venue will have technical officials, volunteers, a competition manager, a past champion athlete and a District Youth Officer. The event will also include women technical officials, developmental workshops, officiating norms aligned with the Athletics Federation of India, and digital competition documentation training.
Sports Development and National Goals
The initiative is being implemented with MY Bharat, Khelo India Centres, SAI institutions, National Centres of Excellence, State and District Sports Associations, and District Youth Officers. It is also linked to India’s wider sports preparedness as the country looks towards the Commonwealth Games 2030 and a possible Olympic Games bid for 2036. The programme seeks to build trained human resources, certified officials and administrative capacity at the district level.
Last Modified: April 28, 2026