Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said the Khelo India Scheme has identified 2781 athletes across 21 sports, including para-athletics, and is providing them with essential support as part of the Khelo India Talent Development programme.
“The Khelo India Scheme identifies and nurtures talent through its Khelo India Talent Development program by supporting athletes across 21 sports, including para-athletics, based on specific guidelines and benchmarks,“ Mandaviya said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
“As on date, 2781 Khelo India Athletes (KIAs) have been identified under the Scheme, who are provided support through coaching, equipment, medical care, and a monthly Out of Pocket Allowance (OPA),“ he added.
The identified athletes, known as Khelo India Athletes (KIAs), are training at the National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) under the Sports Authority of India (SAI), as well as other accredited academies.
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Mandaviya said the programme is strengthening India’s sports talent pool and contributing to the country’s growing success on the global stage.
The minister also gave a break-up of the Khelo India athletes who participated and brought laurels to the country during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris Olympics.
“At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, 124 out of 644 Indian athletes were KIAs, and they contributed significantly by winning 42 out of India’s 106 medals, including 9 Gold medals,“ he said.
“For the Paris 2024 Olympics, 28 KIAs were part of the Indian contingent of 117 athletes, highlighting the program’s ongoing success and the critical role of KIAs in enhancing India’s performance in national and international sports events.“
Promotion of Traditional and Rural Sports Under Khelo India Scheme
Mandaviya highlighted that the ‘Promotion of Rural and Indigenous/Tribal Games‘ is a sub-component of the Khelo India Scheme and is dedicated to advancing rural and indigenous games across the country.
“Indigenous/traditional games of Mallakhamb, Kalaripayattu, Gatka, Thang-Ta, Yogasana and Silambam have been identified for promotion under this component, and these games are part of annually organised Khelo India University/Youth Games,“ he said.
“Grants are sanctioned for infrastructure development, equipment support, appointment of coaches, training of coaches and scholarships to the identified athletes under this Component.”
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