Financial help to achievers in sports

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the Ministry provides financial help under a scheme named 'National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons' to the outstanding sportspersons who are achievers at national and international level only and who are living in indigent circumstances. There is a provision for providing ex-gratia financial assistance to outstanding sportspersons, now living in indigent circumstances whose annual income is less than Rs. 2 lakh. Outstanding sportsperson as defined in the Scheme is ‘a sportsperson who has achieved a position within first 3 in individual events or within first 2 in team events in a recognized National Championship, or one who represents or has represented the country in an International Competition at least twice’. As per objectives of the scheme, the funds of the National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons can be utilized for the following purposes:

(i) to provide suitable assistance to outstanding sportspersons now living in indigent circumstances;

(ii)to provide suitable assistance to outstanding sportspersons injured during the period of their training for competitions and also during the competitions, depending on the nature of the injury;

(iii) to provide suitable assistance to outstanding sportspersons who bring glory to the country in international field and who are disabled as an after effect of their strenuous training or otherwise and to provide them assistance for medical treatment;

(iv) to administer and apply the funds of the Fund to promote the welfare of the sportspersons generally in order to alleviate distress among them and their dependents in indigent circumstances;

(v) to administer and apply the funds of the Fund for active sportspersons individually or collectively as a group;

(vi) to encourage and provide assistance in cash or kind (sports equipment, kit etc.) to budding sportspersons, in their pursuit for achieving excellence in sports;

(vii) to do all other things which are incidental to the above objectives.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today Shri Sonowal said, the financial assistance being provided under the National Welfare Scheme is as under:

(i) Assistance to sportspersons living in indigent circumstances: A lumpsum ex-gratia financial assistance may be granted to an outstanding sportsperson now living in indigent circumstances, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5 lakh.

(ii) Assistance for injuries sustained during training for and participation in international competition: A lumpsum financial assistance to an outstanding sportsperson or his/her family may be granted under the Scheme:

(a) in case of sustaining a fatal injury during training for, or participation in, an international competition, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5.00 lakh;

(b) in case of sustaining injury other than a fatal injury, subject to a maximum of Rs.2.00 lakh provided that the assistance shall in no case be less than Rs.10,000/-.

(iii) Assistance to Families of Outstanding Sportspersons: A lumpsum financial assistance, not exceeding Rs. 2.00 lakh in each case, may also be provided to the families of outstanding sportspersons in indigent circumstances.

(iv) Assistance for Medical Treatment: Financial assistance not exceeding Rs. 2.00 lakh may also be provided for medical treatment of an outstanding sportsperson in indigent circumstances.

(v) Assistance to Sports Promoters: Lumpsum financial assistance, not exceeding Rs. 50,000/- may be provided to referees, coaches and umpires, who were eminent, but are not well off and are in indigent circumstances.

(vi) Discretionary powers to the Chairperson: The Chairperson may sanction the assistance in deserving cases even to those who, technically, are non-eligible, depending upon the facts and circumstances of each case. The Chairperson will have the discretion to decide the quantum of assistance.

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