New Delhi: The Khelo India Scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs &Sports through its twelve verticals which provides for promotion of sports in entire country including rural areas. Khelo India will be the basic platform to showcase sporting skills and spotting talent at the national level. It also provides development pathways for gifted and talented children to achieve excellence. The Central Government will organize the following National level competitions, i.e., Khelo India National School Games and Khelo India National University Games, in respect of priority sports disciplines at various places across the country by associating concerned National Sports Federations (NSFs) and School Game Federation of India (SGFI) and University Sports promotion bodies including Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
In addition, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), an autonomous organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, is implementing a number of sports promotional schemes across the country to identify talented sports persons in the age group of 8-25 years and nurture them to excel at national and international competitions. List of Sports Promotional Schemes of SAI are given as under :
- National Sports Talent Contest Scheme (NSTC)
- Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC)
- SAI Training Centre (STC)
- Special Area Games (SAG)
- Extension Centre of STC/SAG
- Centre of Excellence (COE)
- National Sports Academies (NSA)
Many of the sports persons identified under SAI Sports Promotional Schemes belong to the rural, tribal, backward, coastal and inaccessible hilly areas of the country.Theyare provided with training facilities in the form of expert sports coaches, requisite playing facilities, boarding & lodging, sports kit, competition exposure, educational expenses, medical/insurance and stipend as per the scheme approved norms.This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Col. RajyavardhanRathore in reply to a written Question by ShriRajkumar Dhoot in Rajya Sabha today.
