The Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare is a Ministry of the Government of Maharashtra.
The Ministry is headed by a cabinet level Minister. Sunetra Ajit Pawar is given charge as the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Government of Maharashtra in 31 January 2026.
The Ministry looks after sports and games and supports in organising and conduct of sporting activities in the state. It also presents annual Shiv Chhatrapati State Sports Awards to the best sportspersons in various disciplines.
Head office
Cabinet Ministers No.PortraitMinisterTerm of officePolitical party MinistryChief Minister From ToPeriod Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare01Balasaheb Shivram Bharde 19601962Indian National Congress Yashwantrao I Yashwantrao Chavan02P. K. Sawant 19621962Indian National Congress Yashwantrao II03D. S. Palapsagar 19621963Indian National Congress Kannamwar lMarotrao Kannamwar04P. K. Sawant (Interim Chief Minister)19621963Indian National Congress SawantP. K. Sawant05 S. K. Wankhede 19631967Indian National Congress Vasantrao IVasantrao Naik06Vasantrao Naik (Chief Minister)19671969Indian National Congress Vasantrao II07Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan 19691972Indian National Congress08Rafique Zakaria 19721973Indian National Congress Vasantrao III09Hari Govindrao Vartak 19731974Indian National Congress10Madhukar Dhanaji Chaudhari 19741975Indian National Congress11Madhukar Dhanaji Chaudhari 19751977Indian National Congress Shankarrao I Shankarrao Chavan12S. K. Wankhede (Sports) 19771978Indian National CongressVasantdada IVasantdada Patil13Sharad Pawar (Youth Service) 19771978Indian National Congress14Jawaharlal Darda 19781978Indian National CongressVasantdada II15Narayan Dnyandev Patil 19781980Peasants and Workers Party of India Pawar ISharad Pawar16Jayant Shridhar Tilak 19801982Indian National Congress Antulay Abdul Rahman Antulay17Sharadchandrika Suresh Patil 19821983Indian National Congress Bhosale Babasaheb Bhosale18 Sudhakarrao Naik 19831985Indian National Congress Vasantdada IIIVasantdada Patil19Sushilkumar Shinde 19851985Indian National Congress Vasantdada IV20 Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil 19851986Indian National Congress NilangekarShivajirao Patil Nilangekar21Ram Meghe 19861988Indian National Congress Shankarrao II Shankarrao Chavan22Padamsinh Bajirao Patil 19881990Indian National Congress Pawar II Sharad Pawar23Vilasrao Deshmukh 19901991Indian National Congress Pawar III24Sushilkumar Shinde 19911993Indian National Congress Sudhakarrao Sudhakarrao Naik25Ramdas Athawale 19931995Republican Party of India (Athawale) Pawar IV Sharad Pawar26Babanrao Gholap 19951999Shiv Sena Joshi Manohar Joshi27Sudhir Mungantiwar 19991999Bharatiya Janata Party Rane Narayan Rane28 Ramkrishna More 19992003Indian National Congress Deshmukh I Vilasrao Deshmukh29 Ramkrishna More 20032004Indian National Congress Sushilkumar Sushilkumar Shinde30 Vilasrao Deshmukh (Chief Minister)20042004Indian National Congress Deshmukh II Vilasrao Deshmukh31 Vasant Purke 20042008Indian National Congress32 Patangrao Kadam 20082009Indian National Congress Ashok IAshok Chavan33 Suresh Shetty 20092010Indian National Congress Ashok II34 Rajendra Darda 20102014Indian National Congress Prithviraj Prithviraj Chavan35 Vinod Tawde 20142019Bharatiya Janata Party Fadnavis I Devendra Fadnavis36 Ashish Shelar 20192019Bharatiya Janata Party37 Devendra Fadnavis (Chief Minister) (In Charge)20192019Bharatiya Janata Party Fadnavis II38Subhash Desai 20192019Shiv Sena Thackeray Uddhav Thackeray39 Sunil Chhatrapal Kedar 20192022Indian National Congress40 Eknath Shinde (In Charge)20222022Shiv Sena (2022–present) Eknath Eknath Shinde41 Girish Mahajan 20222023Bharatiya Janata Party 42 Sanjay Bansode 20232024Nationalist Congress Party 43Devendra Fadnavis (Chief_Minister) In Charge20242024Bharatiya Janata Party Fadnavis III Devendra Fadnavis44 Dattatray Vithoba Bharne 20242025Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar Group)45 Manikrao Kokate 20252025Nationalist Congress Party 46 Ajit Pawar (Deputy Chief Minister) Additional Charge20252026Nationalist Congress Party47 Devendra Fadnavis (Chief Minister) Additional Charge20262026Bharatiya Janata Party48 Sunetra Ajit Pawar (Deputy Chief Minister)2026IncumbentNationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar Group)
Ministers of State
No.PortraitDeputy MinisterTerm of officePolitical party MinistryMinisterChief Minister From ToPeriod Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Vacant20192019NA Fadnavis IIDevendra Fadnavis Devendra Fadnavis01Aditi Tatkare 20192022Nationalist Congress Party Thackeray Sunil Chhatrapal Kedar Uddhav Thackeray Vacant 20222024NA EknathEknath Shinde(2022 - 2022) Girish Mahajan (2022 - 2023) Sanjay Bansode (2023 – 2024) Eknath Shinde Vacant2024incumbentNA Fadnavis IIIDattatray Vithoba Bharne(2024 – 2025) Manikrao Kokate(2025 – 2025) Ajit Pawar Additional Charge(2025 – 2026) Devendra Fadnavis Additional Charge(2026 – 2026) Sunetra Pawar (2026 – Present) Devendra Fadnavis
References