Amit Shah Felicitates 613 Medal Winners of World Police and Fire Games 2025; Announces Plans for 2029 Edition in Gujarat

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, addressed the felicitation ceremony of the Indian Police and Fire Services contingent in New Delhi, following their remarkable performance at the 21st World Police and Fire Games – 2025, held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The Indian contingent, comprising personnel from police and fire forces, achieved an outstanding feat by winning 613 medals, bringing pride to the nation.

Highlighting the significance of these games, Shri Shah noted that the World Police and Fire Games (WPFG)—a global multi-sport event for active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel—has emerged as the third-largest sporting event in the world, after the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, attracting nearly 10,000 athletes.

At the event, ₹4,38,85,000 was distributed as incentive rewards to the medal winners. Shri Shah emphasized the government’s goal to ensure that every police force under the All India Police Sports Control Board has at least one participant in the next WPFG, and each team should set a target of winning at least three medals. By setting such structured objectives, India can break its own record in the next edition.

The 2029 World Police and Fire Games are scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Kevadia in Gujarat.

Reinforcing the link between fitness and policing, the Home Minister said that sports help reduce stress and enhance work quality for police personnel. He urged all Directors General of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to create an internal culture of fitness, where officers start their day with a parade and end it by playing sports with their subordinates, promoting camaraderie and physical well-being across ranks.

Shri Shah also spoke about the government’s efforts to institutionalize sports within security forces. He highlighted that the Ministry of Home Affairs has implemented several initiatives in the past year, including:

• Changes in recruitment rules to support talent identification

• Formation of 25 outdoor sports teams in each force

• Creation of joint teams across CAPFs These measures are designed to create a sustainable sporting ecosystem within the police and paramilitary forces.

He also referenced the upcoming National Sports Bill, which includes a key provision to recognize police forces at the state level as unified sporting units. This recognition will enable each police force to compete in National Games as a single team, further professionalizing their athletic development.

Through programs like the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), around 3,000 athletes are now receiving a monthly stipend of ₹50,000 to prepare for the 2036 Olympic Games, which India aims to host. He shared that India has already submitted bids to host the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games, with the goal of making sports an integral part of Indian life.

The Union Home Minister expressed confidence that India will feature among the top 5 countries in the medal tally at the 2036 Olympics, citing recent success across the Olympics, Paralympics, and Asian Games, where the number of medals has tripled. He attributed this success to programs like the Fit India Movement and the scientific approach now adopted for talent selection and training, which has reached every village in the country.

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