Promotion of Sports among Students
Promotion of Sports among Students
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that every year, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) , in its 56 SAI Training Centres (STCs) and 19 Special Area Games (SAG) Centres, have weeding out and enrolment programme. Apart from medal winners at State and National levels, who get direct entry, winners at District level and other talented athletes are allowed to compete in selection trial camps for identification and selection of trainees.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Sonowal said, the Government assists the National Sports Federations (NSFs) for preparation and participation of Indian athletes in international sports events. The SAI in consultation with the NSFs finalizes a Long-term Development Plan (LTDP) for all major sports disciplines. Based on the approved LTDP, Annual Calendar for Training and Competition is prepared, which is supplemented by the 'National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme’ for meeting customized training needs of medal prospects.
He said, Indian sportspersons/teams are performing fairly well at the International level in the Olympic disciplines like Archery, Canoeing, Hockey, Shooting, Taekwondo, Athletics, Kayaking, Judo, Squash, Weightlifting, Badminton, Cycling, Rowing, Swimming, Wrestling, Boxing, Gymnastics, Sailing and Table Tennis. Accordingly substantial financial assistance is being extended in these disciplines to target and win more medals in future International events.
The Minister said, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (Department of Sports) has formulated and issued in February, 2015, a scheme known as National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) under which it is proposed to identify sporting talent among students in the age group of 8 to 12 years, including from rural areas, and further nurture them so as to enable them to participate in National and International sports events, win medals and bring laurels to the country.
He said, talent search is also done by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) coaches during the annual National Sports Competitions of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) [erstwhile Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA)].
For the purpose of promoting excellence in sports, it is also essential that with a view to “catch them young and teach them rightly” through scientific training methods, sporting talent is searched for, spotted and nurtured in a methodical manner in order to reach such a state of sporting excellence as to be able to become medal prospects in various international events. Since the essence of spotting of raw sporting talent is to catch such talents at a young age, so as to enable enough time to groom and hone the talents of such children, there is no proposal to increase the age limit for selection of students/youth upto 21 years under the NSTSS, Shri Sonowal added.
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Promotion of Native Games
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that since ‘Sports’ is a State subject, primary responsibility for promotion and development of sports including promotion of native games is that of respective State Governments. However, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Sports Authority of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Sonowal said, the existing schemes of the Government of India and Sports Authority of India (SAI) lay adequate focus on the promotion of native games. Under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federation (NSFs), various sports federations dealing with native games like Chess, Wrestling, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, etc. have been given Government recognition, and are provided with financial assistance for promotional and developmental activities.
The Minister said, under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs, assistance is provided to the NSFs, inter-alia, for conduct of national championships in Senior, Junior and Sub-junior categories both for men and women, conduct of international tournaments in india, participation of Indian sportspersons and teams in international tournaments abroad, organizing coaching camps, etc. NSFs are responsible for promotion of their respective sports disciplines in the entire country and not in a specific State of the Country.
He said, the Ministry provides financial incentives in the forms of cash awards and pension under the ‘Scheme of Special Awards to Medal Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches’ and the Scheme of Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons’. Benefits of these schemes are equally applicable to the sportspersons belonging to disciplines of kabaddi and kho-kho as per the eligibility conditions prescribed in these schemes.
Shri Sonowal said, various schemes are already being implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for promotion of excellence in sports events at national and international level. Under the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), financial assistance is provided for customized training of elite athletes. Further, trainees under the following schemes of Sports Authority of India are provided scientific training, stipend, sports kit, competition exposure, etc.:-
(i) National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) Scheme.
(ii) Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC) Scheme
(iii) SAI Training Centres (STC ) Scheme
(iv) Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme
(v) Centres of Excellence (COE) Scheme
The Ministry does not maintain the data about the sports champions of State and National level sports, the Minister added.
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Sports in Schools/Colleges
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that participation of Indian players in various international league competitions of sports in hockey, badminton, kabaddi, tennis, football etc. gives an opportunity to Indian athletes to play with the top ranking athletes of the world. As a result, the performance of the Indian players & the teams has improved.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Sonowal said, Sports is a State subject and it is primarily responsibility of the State Govt to groom the sports talent among students at School and College level. National Sports Federations ( NSFs) are responsible for promotion and development of their disciplines. Under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs the Central Govt provides financial assistance for participation of sportspersons/teams in international sports events abroad, training/coaching of sportspersons/teams through Indian and foreign coaches, procurement of equipment and consumables etc.
The Minister said, School Games Federation of India (SGFI) and Association of Indian Universities (AIU) have been recognized by the Government of India as National Sports Promotion Organizations (NSPOs) and are eligible for the same level of assistance as are available to NSFs. SGFI and AIU are involved in promotion and development of sports and games in schools and colleges/universities respectively.
He said, Government has also recognized Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society & Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society as NSFs for promotion of the sport of hockey and football at school level. Financial assistance, at par with the NSFs, is given to them for organising the National Championships at the School level.
Shri Sonowal said, the Ministry is implementing the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) under which central assistance is provided to States and UTs for conducting the following types of annual sports competitions to encourage active participation of boys and girls, including students in schools/colleges, in various sports activities :
i. Rural Sports Competitions at Block, District, State and National level;
ii. Women Sports Competitions at District, State and National level;
iii. North East Games at District, State and Inter-State level (amongst North Eastern States)
iv. Competitions in Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas at Block, District, State and National levels
He said, the Ministry has also been implementing a scheme, namely, Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) on a pilot basis with effect from the year 2010-11. Under this scheme, 100% financial assistance is provided to State Governments/ Union Territories for development of the following sports infrastructure:-
(i) Synthetic playing surface (for hockey and athletics);
(ii) Multipurpose indoor hall.
State Governments, Local Civic Bodies, School, Colleges and Universities under Central/State Governments and Sports Control Boards are eligible to receive assistance for creation of sports infrastructure under this scheme, he added.
Government has formulated and issued, in February, 2015, a scheme known as National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) under which it is proposed to identify sporting talent among students in the age group of 8 to 12 years, including from rural areas, and further nurture them so as to enable them to participate in National and International sports events, win medals and bring laurels to the country. Government is also implementing ‘NSDF TOP Scheme’ with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, Shri Sonowal said.
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Funds to NSFs
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that promotion and development of specific sports disciplines is mainly the responsibility of the concerned National Sports Federations (NSFs). Government supplements the efforts of the NSFs by providing financial assistance to them under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs for various activities, such as, holding coaching camps for national level sportspersons, zonal and national championships for sub-junior, junior and senior categories, organizing International tournaments in India, participation in international tournaments abroad procurement of sports, sports science equipment and consumables, engagement of foreign coaches/experts to train athletes, etc. The NSFs are responsible to chalk out their calendar of events including participation in the international events. While the Government supplements their efforts by providing financial assistance as per the approved norms under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs, the list of NSFs not taking part in international sporting events is not maintained. The grant released to the recognized NSFs during the last three years is given in the Annexure.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Sonowal said, Hockey India (HI) has been recognized by the Government for promotion and development of hockey. In addition, Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society (JNHTS) is given financial assistance for promotion of hockey among school children. The amount of financial assistance given to HI & JNHTS during the last three years is as under :
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(Rs. In lakhs)
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2012-13
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2013-14
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2014-15* (upto December 2014)
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Hockey India
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565.20
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1268.19
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452.02
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Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society
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8.87
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2.25
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The Minister said, the Mission Directorate, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (MDRGKA) is implementing the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) scheme, under which construction of a sports complex (comprising outdoor playfield and indoor sports hall) is to be undertaken in each block of the country, both for outdoor and indoor sports disciplines, on land measuring about six - seven acres at a cost of Rs. 80 lakh each (Total Rs. 1.60 crore). There is also provision of Rs. 15 lakh for sports equipment to be provided by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Under RGKA, funds are also provided for following types of sports competitions annually with 100% central assistance:
i. Rural Sports Competitions at Block, District, State and National level;
ii. Women Sports Competitions at District, State and National level;
iii. North East Games at District, State and Inter-State level (amongst North Eastern States).
iv. Competitions in Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas at Block, District, State and National levels
This scheme also encourages sports at village and district level in the country, Shri Sonowal added.
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