a)the names of international level sports for which talented sportspersons are selected in the country;
b)whether the Government has selected any talented sportspersons belonging to the weaker sections/ families in the country;
c)if so, the details thereof, State and sports-wise; and
d)theaspects which are considered by the Government for encouraging the sportspersons in the sporting events and scaling up the level of excellence at the international level?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
a),b) and c) : The Government recognizes Sports Federation and Sports Associations, which are responsible for promotion of their respective sports disciplines, including selection of talented sportspersons in the country and their participation in sports events included in Olympics/Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian/Para Asian Games and other International Championships and World Cups in different disciplines. For participation in the international level sports, the sportsperson are selected by the respective Sports Federations and Sports Associations, who enjoy full autonomy in the matter. The selection is purely on the basis of their potential and performance irrespective of his/her financial/social condition.
d): Some of the aspects which are considered by the Government for encouraging the sportspersons in the sporting events and scaling up the level of excellence at the international level are imparting of specialized training to promising athletes by providing state of the art infrastructure and training facilities, sports science backup, diet prescribed by nutritionists with overall supervision of the best coaches, qualified support staff, High Performances Directors and incentives of Cash awards, Out of Pocket Allowance etc. To achieve the objective, the Government has undertaken several initiatives as under:
(i) Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federation (NSF): The Government provides assistance to elite sportspersons preparing for major international events such as Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games etc. by providing funding support through its scheme of Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs), as per ACTC (Annual Calendar for Training and Competition). As part of scheme,NSFs are provided funding for organizing training camps which includes training, accommodation and dietary costs as well.
(ii) Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS): The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOP Scheme or TOPS) is a flagship athlete centric program of the Government to provide assistance to India’s top athletes in their preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Core Group:
The Government has identified 104 potential athletes (Core Group) in different sports disciplines for special focus, who are being funded under TOP Scheme through National Sports Development Fund (NSDF). These athletes are being provided best of the customized special training in their respective disciplines under renowned coaches and training institutes within the country and abroad. Some of these athletes are medal prospects in the upcoming International Competitions.
Under TOPS CoreGroupeach athlete receives Out of Pocket Allowance of Rs. 50,000/- per month.
Development Group:
To ensure a focused approach in India’s Olympic preparation, the Government has identified 14 sport disciplinesviz.Archery, Athletics, Badminton,Boxing,Cycling,Fencing,Hockey, Judo, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Wrestling, Weightlifting and Rowing as priority disciplines for excellence at Olympics 2024 and 2028 and other upcomingInternational Competitions. Of the mentioned 14 priority disciplines, the talent identification of 269 best sporting talents has been completed.
Under TOPS Development Groupeach athlete receivesOut of Pocket Allowance of Rs. 25,000/- per month and customized training support at National Centre of Excellence (NCOE).
(iii) Further, to encourage sportspersons to perform in International sports events/competitions, the Government has in place the ‘Scheme of Cash Awards for medal winners in International sports events and their coaches’, whereby cash incentive ranging from Rs.20,000/- to Rs.75,00,000/- is given to the sportsperson depending upon the nature of competition and his/her performance.
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