Gagan Narang appointed Director of relaunched National Olympic Academy

The IOA has appointed Olympic medallist Gagan Narang as the Director of the relaunched National Olympic Academy (NOA). This initiative, along with the new National Olympic Education and Development Programme, aims to bolster athlete development.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has appointed Olympic medallist and IOA Vice President Gagan Narang as the Director of the relaunched National Olympic Academy (NOA), marking a significant step in strengthening India's Olympic education and athlete development framework, as per a release from IOA.

The appointment was approved during the IOA Executive Council meeting held on 8 January 2026 and was unanimously endorsed by the IOA General House at its Annual General Meeting on 9 January 2026. Both meetings were held in Ahmedabad.

National Olympic Education and Development Programme (NOEDP) Launched

The decision to formally reactivate the National Olympic Academy coincides with the launch of the National Olympic Education and Development Programme (NOEDP). These initiatives underscore the IOA's renewed focus on athlete-centric development, Olympic education, and institutional capacity building, aligned with global best practices.

The National Olympic Education and Development Programme (NOEDP) has been conceptualised as a comprehensive national framework to deliver structured education and development programmes across India's Olympic ecosystem. The programme will be implemented in collaboration with National Sports Federations (NSFs) and State Olympic Associations (SOAs), ensuring wide outreach from grassroots to elite levels.

Key Focus Areas of NOEDP

The key focus areas of NOEDP include Olympic values education and ethics; holistic athlete development; welfare and career transition support; capacity building for coaches, officials, administrators, and support personnel; strengthening governance, leadership, and professionalism within sports bodies; and long-term athlete development models aligned with international standards.

Revitalised National Olympic Academy

As a cornerstone of this initiative, the National Olympic Academy has been reactivated as the central institution for Olympic education, learning, research, and dialogue in India. Under the leadership of Gagan Narang, Director and Vice President, the NOA will work closely with athletes to support their educational needs, personal development, leadership skills, and understanding of the Olympic movement, as well as their sporting careers.

The IOA General House also unanimously approved P. T. Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association, as the President of the National Olympic Academy. Under their leadership, the National Olympic Academy will collaborate closely with the International Olympic Academy, Olympia, to align India's Olympic education programmes with the Olympic Charter and international best practices. This collaboration will enable the exchange of knowledge, joint programmes, research initiatives and participation in global Olympic education forums.

'A Path-Breaking Step for Indian Sport'

"Reactivating the National Olympic Academy and launching the National Olympic Education and Development Programme is a truly path-breaking step for Indian sport. For the first time, we are placing structured Olympic education, athlete welfare, leadership development and long-term career planning at the centre of our ecosystem, rather than treating them as add-ons. High performance cannot exist in isolation from education, ethics, governance and holistic development, and NOEDP addresses this gap in a comprehensive and nationally integrated manner," Gagan Narang said.

"This initiative is the need of the hour. As India aspires to be a leading sporting nation, we must invest not only in medals but in people, systems and institutions. Athletes today require support that goes beyond training and competition; they need knowledge, life skills, career transition pathways and a deep understanding of Olympic values. Through the National Olympic Academy and more importantly the NOEDP under the Ioa Education committee, we aim to create informed athletes, empowered coaches and professional administrators who can collectively raise the standard of Indian sport, " he added.

"I am grateful to the IOA Executive Council and the General House for their trust, and I look forward to working closely with President P. T. Usha, our National Sports Federations, State Olympic Associations and the International Olympic Academy to build an education framework that is globally aligned yet deeply rooted in India's sporting realities and look forward to support from the Government of India, Corporates and the Educational institutions to add momentum to this initiative," Gagan Narang commented.

Commitment to National Goals

In firm commitment towards the vision of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, and India's goal of Viksit Bharat, the IOA reaffirmed its resolve to place athletes at the heart of the Olympic movement while strengthening the institutions that support sport across the country. (ANI)

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