Parliament Question: Athletes participated in Khelo India Youth Games

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2443 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025 Athletes participated in Khelo India Youth Games 2443. Shri Malaiyarasan D: Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state: (a) the total number of athletes and sports infrastructure projects supported under the Khelo India Scheme since its inception, year and State-wise data, particularly for Tamil Nadu; (b) whether the Government has ensured equitable distribution of funds and facilities across all States, especially in the Southern States and the criteria used for such allocation; (c) the details of such Centres and Talent Identification Programmes and the number of athletes participated in Khelo India Youth Games and other national events under the said scheme; (d) whether any proposals from the Government of Tamil Nadu for infrastructure development or athlete support under Khelo India are pending with the Centre and if so, the reasons for the delay therefor; and (e) the steps being taken by the Government to strengthen grassroots sports, promote traditional and indigenous sports, ensure gender and regional balance in athlete selection and funding under the scheme? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS { DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA } (a) State-wise details of total number of athletes supported under the Khelo India Scheme since its inception is provided at Annexure – I. The details of the sports infrastructure projects approved and their sanctioned cost and funds released under Khelo India Scheme, across the country, including in the State of Tamil Nadu, are available in public domain on the dashboard of the Ministry at https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in. Page 1 of 4(b) The Khelo India Scheme is a demand-driven scheme. The proposals received from the State/UT Governments and other eligible entities are considered for financial support, subject to their completeness, technical feasibility and availability of funds under the Scheme. (c) The details such as Khelo India Centres, Sports Academies, identified Khelo India Athletes, participation and medal-tally of various Khelo India Games under Khelo India Scheme are available at https://dashboard.kheloindia.gov.in. The details of the sports infrastructure projects approved and their sanctioned cost and funds released under Khelo India Scheme, across the country, including in the State of Tamil Nadu, are available in public domain on the dashboard of the Ministry at https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in. (d) No proposal is pending for athlete support under Khelo India from the State of Tamil Nadu. However, under the “Creation and upgradation of sports infrastructure” component of the Khelo India Scheme, this Ministry has received 17 proposals for infrastructure development from the State of Tamil Nadu. The proposals received from the State/UT Governments and other eligible entities are considered for financial support, subject to their completeness, technical feasibility and availability of funds under the Scheme. (e) To strengthen grassroots sports, the Khelo India Scheme has established over 1,000 Khelo India Centres at the district level to provide children with opportunities to train under the guidance of past champion athletes. These centres help prepare young athletes for state and national level competitions. Additionally, the scheme supports 34 Khelo India State Centres of Excellence across 33 states and union territories, which provide critical resources such as high-quality coaching, sports science support, and equipment, helping nurture talent from every region. Talent identification is an important component, with over 2,800 athletes selected across 21 sports, including para-sports, after rigorous national championships and assessment camps. These athletes train in accredited academies supported financially with an annual funding of over six lakh rupees per athlete. Moreover, Khelo India Games have been conducted 19 times, involving more than 56,000 athletes, offering a competitive platform especially benefiting athletes from rural areas. Special emphasis is also given to promoting women’s participation through Khelo India Women’s Leagues across 29 sports disciplines, organizing over 1,300 competitions with nearly 1,40,000 female participants, thus significantly increasing women’s involvement in sports nationwide. Page 2 of 4The promotion of traditional and indigenous sports is another key focus. Indigenous games such as Mallakhamb, Kalaripayyattu, Gatka, Thang-Ta, and Yogasana have been included as competitive categories in various Khelo India Youth and University Games. The Khelo India Centres support training in 42 sports disciplines, including these indigenous games, providing livelihood opportunities for past champion athletes as coaches. The Fit India Movement complements this by promoting indigenous games during its events and festivals. The scheme also supports the revival of rural, indigenous, and tribal games as a means of preserving cultural heritage and encouraging inclusiveness. Furthermore, women’s leagues also include indigenous and traditional sports, promoting broader participation. Regarding gender and regional balance in athlete selection and funding, a well-structured Talent Identification and Development Committee oversees the process, comprising eminent athletes, coaches, sports scientists, and representatives from national sports federations. This committee compiles scouting lists from competitions and conducts assessment camps to select athletes based on merit while ensuring regional representation. Once selected, athletes receive induction into accredited academies and benefit from the Khelo India program's comprehensive support, which includes scholarships, specialized coaching, exposure to international competitions, and access to world-class facilities. Each Khelo India Athlete (KIA) receives funding of up to ₹6.28 lakh per annum. This support includes specialised training, access to world-class facilities, participation in international competitions, and a monthly out-of-pocket allowance of ₹10,000. Page 3 of 4ANNEXURE – I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2443 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025 REGARDING “ATHLETES PARTICIPATED IN KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES” ASKED BY SHRI MALAIYARASAN D, HON’BLE MEMBER OF LOK SABHA. S.No. State / UT 2025-26 2024- 2023- 2022- 2021- 2020- 2019- (Q1) 25 24 23 22 21 20 1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 4 4 3 3 6 8 7 2 Andhra Pradesh 57 63 49 55 43 56 40 3 Arunachal Pradesh 17 16 14 11 9 12 9 4 Assam 53 42 39 43 54 45 36 5 Bihar 17 14 14 9 8 10 12 6 Chandigarh 34 34 30 40 39 46 33 7 Chhattisgarh 31 37 45 35 44 30 22 8 Daman Diu and Dadra Nagar 2 3 3 2 1 4 1 Haveli 9 Delhi 140 156 163 199 212 254 195 10 Goa 4 6 10 18 16 18 16 11 Gujarat 68 64 65 81 67 104 106 12 Haryana 497 490 467 432 392 438 375 13 Himachal Pradesh 32 30 28 34 33 26 19 14 Jammu & Kashmir 14 17 19 20 30 20 13 15 Jharkhand 51 54 47 40 24 27 27 16 Karnataka 160 157 138 136 144 159 173 17 Kerala 114 94 108 103 109 126 131 18 Ladakh 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 19 Lakshadweep 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 20 Madhya Pradesh 97 109 114 100 109 54 72 21 Maharashtra 303 325 347 365 415 347 365 22 Manipur 116 109 105 126 189 255 203 23 Meghalaya 4 5 2 3 13 6 12 24 Mizoram 15 10 15 28 25 39 26 25 Nagaland 1 2 1 1 0 5 0 26 Odisha 81 77 70 57 66 47 53 27 Puducherry 8 5 7 7 6 13 6 28 Punjab 144 159 169 179 161 158 188 29 Rajasthan 155 137 105 81 108 137 95 30 Sikkim 0 1 1 2 6 9 3 31 Tamil Nadu 190 199 173 167 101 94 92 32 Telangana 58 72 59 51 55 132 60 33 Tripura 3 5 5 8 11 23 9 34 Uttar Pradesh 176 190 186 191 186 139 159 35 Uttarakhand 49 45 32 40 53 94 69 36 West Bengal 111 112 118 91 81 95 83 Total 2808 2845 2752 2759 2816 3030 2711 ***** Page 4 of 4