Abstract
Sports tourism connects sport, travel, recreation, Physical Education and regional development. This study examines the potential of sports tourism in Jhansi Mandal of Uttar Pradesh, comprising Jhansi, Jalaun and Lalitpur districts, with particular attention to economic linkages and the role of Physical Education. The study is descriptive, analytical and exploratory and is based on secondary data from government sources, district tourism information, policy documents and scholarly literature. The analysis identifies a conceptual pathway from sports infrastructure and events to visitor movement, local expenditure, business activity, employment and regional development. Jhansi Mandal possesses heritage, natural, educational and sporting resources. Jhansi's association with Major Dhyan Chand and the Major Dhyan Chand Museum provides a distinctive sports-heritage resource, while university and college competitions, training camps, fitness activities and selected outdoor recreation may support sports-tourism products. However, dedicated sports-tourism statistics for the Mandal are not available; consequently, general tourist figures cannot be treated as sports-tourist figures and no monetary multiplier is estimated. The study proposes an integrated development framework linking Physical Education, sports infrastructure, tourism promotion, educational institutions, local entrepreneurship and sustainable destination management.