After Pranavi Urs' Asian Games Gold, Anurag Thakur Outlines India's Next Sporting Mission At NDTV IGPL Golf Pro-Am

On a day when golf in India took a giant leap forward with Pranavi Urs winning the Asian Games 2026 gold medal, the first by an Indian woman, former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur called for a renewed focus on sports. Speaking to NDTV during the Am Green IGPL Pro-Am Golf event on Saturday, BJP MP Thakur said that with India aiming to host the 2036 Olympics, it was time for a reinvigorated approach. "By 2036, we want to celebrate much more. We need to spend more at the grassroots level. Corporates, NGOs, the Centre and state governments all have a role to play. There has to be a plan in place. We should have more coaches and more sportspersons. The Centre has increased funding through the Khelo India scheme. Sports is a state subject. States need to do well. Corporates need to invest in building infrastructure and engaging more coaches," Thakur said.

"We need more coaches. The time is right to prepare for 2036, which is only 10 years away. It takes a lot of time to develop champions like Leander Paes, Shiv Kapur and Pranavi."

— NDTV (@ndtv) October 3, 2026

On behalf of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), Thakur also announced a prize money of Rs 1 crore for Pranavi.

"Let me first congratulate Pranavi on behalf of all golf enthusiasts and 140 crore Indians. You ended a 24-year drought for a gold medal. Shiv Kapur, who won us the gold medal 24 years back, is with us. Before him, it was Lakshman Singh," said Anurag Thakur.

"You can add something to your shopping list now, because the IGPL franchise and team are making an announcement of Rs 1 crore for Pranavi," Thakur said. "Rs 25 lakh for Aditi and Diksha as well."

Speaking about her gold medal, Pranavi told NDTV, "It hasn't sunk in yet. It's great, and I'm still trying to process it. Yeah, I feel the beat."

"You know, I always kind of like being the first one to do something," she added.

Looking ahead to her celebrations, Pranavi said, "Yeah, I'm going to be shopping a lot tomorrow in Tokyo, so I'm really excited about that."

"I held my nerve and just stayed in my lane. I tried to do what I was meant to do and stick to the game plan. I wasn't really thinking about what the other girls were doing.

"So, yeah, I just took it shot by shot after that because I thought I had hit rock bottom. I was thinking about what he did when he won his first Masters. If he can go out there and win the Masters after a bad start, then I can win the Asian Games," said Pranavi.

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