Question : POOR PERFORMANCE OF SPORTS PERSONS

(a) whether the Government proposes to formulate any sports policy to impart training to sports persons for their better performance in international events;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) Whether the Government has taken any steps to ascertain the reasons for poor performance of India in Athens Olympics;

(d) Whether the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is also responsible for poor performance to an extent; and

(e) If so, the details thereof and if not, the steps taken by the Government to fix the responsibility?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) & (b) The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) are already implementing a number of schemes, which are aimed at identification of talented sportspersons and imparting training to these sports persons for excellence in national and international sports events.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is implementing the following three schemes aimed at achieving excellence in sports events:

(i) Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations

(ii) National Sports Development Fund

(iii) Scheme of Talent Search & Training

SAI is implementing the following schemes for identification of the talented sportspersons and nurturing and training of identified talented sportspersons for sporting excellence in national and international sports events:-

1. National Sports Talent Contest Scheme (NSTC)

2. Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC) Scheme.

3. SAI Training Centres (STC) Scheme

4. Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme

5. Centre of Excellence (COE) Scheme

(c) to (e) Analysis of the performance of the Indian sportspersons in major international sports events including Athens Olympics 2004 is an ongoing exercise carried out by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in consultation with SAI and other concerned stakeholders with a view to finding out reasons for such performance of the sportspersons and the measures to be taken for improving the performance of the sportspersons in future sports events.

It is because of various policy measures taken by the Ministry and SAI that there has been perceptible improvement in the country’s performance in international sports events as is evident from the medals won by Indian sportspersons/teams in Beijing Olympics-2008, Asian Games 2010, Commonwealth Games-2010, London Olympics- 2012 etc. In order to further improve the standard of sports in the country, the Government has been taking initiatives and implementing various schemes including the above for strengthening sports facilities and providing better training and coaching, etc.