Promoting Sports

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Jitendra Singh has said that the primary responsibility for the development and promotion of a sport discipline rests with the concerned recognized National Sports Federations (NSFs). Under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs, the Government supplements the efforts of the NSFs by providing financial assistance to the NSFs for procurement of equipment and consumables, holding national/international sports events in India, participation of sportspersons/teams in international sports events abroad and training/coaching of national level sportspersons/teams through Indian and foreign coaches, as per agreed Long Term Development Plans (LTDPs) with the NSFs. The Government tries to ensure good governance and transparency in NSFs through implementation of the National Sports Development Code, 2011 which, among others, provides for age and tenure limits for office bearers. It is true that lack of sports culture is a factor in the country’s performance in the field of sports, Shri Singh said.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Jitendra Singh said, for inculcating sporting culture and popularizing sports among children and youth of the country, the Government has taken a number of policy measures/initiatives such as enacting Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which inter-alia, makes it mandatory to schools to have a play ground for each school, a part time instructor for physical education in upper primary school, supply of play material, games and sport equipment, as required, to schools; providing for one compulsory period for sports everyday in classes upto 10th class and two periods in a week for classes 11 and 12, broad-basing of sports by way of introduction of Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan, which provides for basic playfields in all village panchayats and block panchayats in a phased manner over a period of 10 years and providing access to organized sports competitions at block, district, State and National levels, creation and development of sports urban infrastructure under Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme, introduction of ‘Come and Play Scheme’ providing access to sports facilities of SAI across the country at nominal fee, provision of 5% of vacancies in direct recruitment in Group ‘C’ and erstwhile Group ‘D’ being reserved for meritorious sportspersons in Central Government offices, providing incentives in the form of Cash Awards and pension to medal winners in international sports events.

The Minister said, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been extending support for improving the level of sports through its various Schemes like ‘Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations’, ‘Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme’, ‘National Sports Development Fund’ and ‘Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan’. Under these Schemes, financial assistance is provided for organizing competitions, training sportspersons and developing sports infrastructure, etc. Sports Authority of India has also been extending support for promotion of sports through its Schemes like, National Sports Talent Contest Scheme (NSTC), Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC) Scheme, SAI Training Centres (STC) Scheme, Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme, Centre of Excellence (COE). Under these schemes, scientific training is given to sports persons through qualified coaches.

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