(a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme for promotion of traditional games/sports
in the rural areas of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether rural youths have been provided an opportunity to participate in games/sports
tournaments held abroad;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the names of the sports disciplines in which the rural youth participated in and outside
the country during the last three years?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS(DR. M. S. GILL)
(a) & (b): The Government has recently approved the Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan
(PYKKA), which aims at creation of basic sports infrastructure at grassroots level, in all
panchayats of the country, in a phased manner during 11th and 12th Five year Plan periods, and
organizing sports competitions including in traditional/indigeneous games at village, block and
district levels. The Scheme attaches priority to the promotion of traditional/indigeneous games.
(c) & (d): Sportspersons belonging to national teams are sent abroad every year for participation
in international sporting events and a large number of such sportspersons hail from rural areas.
(e) National teams in most of the sport disciplines have sportspersons from rural area,
particularly in disciplines such as Boxing, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Hockey, Athletics, Kabaddi,
Kho Kho and Volleyball.