Editorial: Celebrate the medals, then fund the grassroots

Eighty-five medals at the Asian Games, 39 at the Commonwealth Games, a historic finish for women's hockey and a second straight T20 World Cup. 2026 will be remembered as a golden year for Indian sport.

But behind every podium is a long chain: a village coach, a district ground, a scholarship that arrived on time. Too many talented children still drop out because that chain breaks. States must invest in coaches and facilities, not only in cash rewards after victory.

If India wants to compete for the top of the medal table, the time to build is now, years before the next Games.