Jwala Gutta, a two-time Olympian (2012 London and 2016 Rio) and a former World Badminton Championships medallist, said the revamped Khelo India Scheme has the potential to change the face of sports in India. Addressing the media here on Friday, Gutta said the Scheme will be a “gamechanger” and “it was a long time due.”
Gutta was part of a conference that saw the presence of Dr A Sonibala Devi, vice-chairperson and managing director of the Sports Authority of Telangana, Vishnu Sudhakaran, regional director of the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru and S Hima Bindu, a SAI deputy director based in Delhi.
S Hima Bindu explained the key pillars in the scheme and how it will impact a state like Telangana. The 2026–31 scheme provides for an 8X increase in the previous outlay at INR 29,054 Crore and aims at a 10X increase in the number of athletes supported.
“The grassroots to Olympic excellence pathway has been well thought through. The scheme addresses gaps in the system and the formation of a coaches’ board will help uplift the way a child plays sport. The academy structure will be bolstered and there are adequate funds to boost infrastructure and sports technology,” said Hima Bindu.
Sports in Telangana is a priority
Development of sports in Telangana is already a priority for the Union sports ministry. A total of 33 Khelo India Centres has already been notified in Telangana, where over 601 athletes are being trained by Past Champion Athletes (PCAs). One Khelo India State Centre of Excellence is already operational in Medchal-Malkagiri, supporting 254 athletes (152 male and 102 female) in disciplines including rowing, weightlifting, and fencing.
Nineteen Khelo India Accredited Academies have been notified in the state covering athletics, gymnastics, shooting, badminton, table tennis, cycling, tennis and football. Under the Sports for Women vertical, 127 ASMITA leagues have been organised in Telangana, with participation of 20,921 female athletes.
“I am a government product myself and without its support I would not have achieved whatever I have as a player. In its new avatar, the Khelo India Scheme looks extremely promising. With its thrust on grassroots development and sustainability, parents will feel very secure to send their children to play a sport,” Jwala said.
“The government has always been serious about boosting sports, but this will have a far-reaching impact and the reach will be enormous. I am happy to be associated with the scheme,” she added.
One of the major highlights of the KIS is that it aims to establish a standardised, scientific and technology-enabled talent identification system, with Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas, Feeder Schools and Khelo India Centres. The framework envisages Khelo India Athletes (KIA) and Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIA).
Khelo India Scheme finer details being worked out
Strengthening the relationship between the Union sports ministry and states is also a focus area of the KIS. As part of this vision, the Khelo India Youth Games will be hosted by Telangana later this year. The Khelo India Scheme has provision for a collaborative model with a Centre-State, with funding linked to talent progression, athlete retention, grassroots-to-elite transition and reform-based milestones.
“This is extremely advantageous for a state like Telangana. The scheme will help in legacy planning and its vision will have far-reaching consequences on the way a state approaches sport as a subject. Since sports will be entwined with the education policy, we should see much better results,” said Dr Sonibala Devi.
Sudhakaran said the finer details of the Khelo India Scheme are still being worked out. “The operational guidelines will elaborate how the scheme will work and how states will embrace the key ingredients. Earlier we used to have a ‘focused’ approach with limited budgets. But this Khelo India Scheme is the result of a lot of discussion with stakeholders and it is a win-win situation for all. The budgets have been earmarked in a way that it helps boost the sports movement and the Khelo Bharat Niti where PM Narendra Modi wants to see sports reaching the masses.”
