Anurag Thakur thanks PM Modi for extending Khelo India Scheme by 5 years

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending Khelo India Scheme by another five years and increasing its budgetary allocation by 48 per cent.

To achieve the twin objectives of mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports, the government decided to continue the scheme of 'Khelo India – National Programme for Development of Sports' over the 15th Finance Commission Cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26) at an outlay of Rs 3165.50 crore.

"On behalf of the Ministry and all stakeholders, I express our deep gratitude to the Prime Minister for extending the tenure of Khelo India Scheme for another five years as well as bringing it into national prominence by increasing its budgetary allocation by 48% in Budget 2022 and including it in the PM's Awards Scheme," Thakur said in a PIB release.

The Khelo India Scheme is the flagship central sector scheme of the Sports Ministry. The Ministry said the components of the Scheme have been rearranged and rationalized by merging/subsuming similar ones, thus condensing the 12 existing into following five components.

They are "Creation and Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure, Sports Competitions and Talent Development, Khelo India Centres and Sports Academies, Fit India Movement and Promotion of Inclusiveness through Sports".

The government also approved the continuation of Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations with an outlay of Rs. 1575 crore for the 15th Finance Commission Cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26).

The Scheme of Assistance to NSFs is the main source of funding for preparation of national teams for all major national and international competitions, including the Olympic Games, Para-Olympics, Asian Games, Para Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games (CWG).