New Delhi, Mar 2: In a major push to promote women’s participation in sports, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will organise a nationwide athletics league across 250 locations under the ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) programme on March 8 to mark International Women’s Day.

The initiative was announced by Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, at a press conference held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. She described the programme as a powerful platform to integrate young women across the country through sports.
In the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, four centres will host events. Kargil will stage a special ASMITA league in Ladakh, while Rajouri, Srinagar and Udhampur will conduct athletics competitions in J&K.
ASMITA, launched in 2021 under the Khelo India initiative, aims to increase women’s participation in competitive sports and identify emerging talent at the grassroots level. The programme is supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which works with National Sports Federations to conduct women’s leagues at zonal and national levels.
So far, over 2,600 leagues across 34 sports disciplines have been organised in more than 550 districts and 700 cities, with participation exceeding 3 lakh women. The programme has reached remote regions, including Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, as well as areas previously affected by Left-wing extremism.
The March 8 athletics events will feature 100m, 200m and 400m races across three age categories — Under-13, 13–18 years, and 18 . Each venue will deploy technical officials, volunteers, a competition manager, a Past Champion Athlete (PCA) and a District Youth Officer to ensure smooth conduct. The Ministry expects a record participation of 2.5 lakh women in a single day.
The initiative will be implemented in collaboration with MY Bharat, Khelo India Centres, SAI’s National Centres of Excellence, State and District Sports Associations, and District Youth Officers.
Highlighting India’s long-term sporting ambitions, Khadse said preparations for events such as the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the country’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games must begin at the district level. She stressed that building trained human resources, certified technical officials and strong administrative systems is essential for hosting global sporting events.
In addition to competitions, the league will include developmental workshops, training aligned with Athletics Federation of India officiating norms, and digital documentation training to strengthen grassroots sports administration and capacity building nationwide.