The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel said in the Lok Sabha today that several indigenous sports such as Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Ball Badminton, Mallakhamb, Atya Patya, Sqay and Kalariyappattu are already supported under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations. He said there is provision for need based financial assistance for preservation and promotion of indigenous sports under the flagship programme of ‘Khelo India’. This scheme, inter-alia, provides for conducting sports competitions in two age groups of (i) under 14 and (ii) under 17 all over India to encourage mass participation of both boys and girls in sports. This scheme includes a provision that States may decide including regional/indigenous/local popular games as part of competition.
In a written reply he said, under the “Indigenous Games and Martial Arts” (IGMA) component of the National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) Scheme of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), for revival of traditional games popular in the country, SAI has adopted 10 schools having a total strength of 159 trainees (78 boys & 81 girls) and the trainees under the scheme are provided with stipend at the rate of Rs.3000/- per month per head for 10 months, sports kit at the rate of Rs.1500/-, insurance at the rate of Rs.150/- per head per annum. Annual grant to the school at the rate of Rs.20000/- for purchase of sports equipment and at the rate of Rs.25,000/- per school per annum for organizing competition for scouting talent is also given. The sports disciplines covered under the IGMA are Archery, Gatka, kabaddi, kalarippayattu, Mukna, Thang-Ta, Silambam, Khomlainai and Mallakhamb.
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