Parliament Question: Football Development in India

Government of India Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Department of Sports LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4965 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026 Football Development in India 4965. Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde: Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state: (a) the details of steps taken by the Government to promote the development of football in India, including grassroots programmes, school level initiatives and talent identification schemes during the last five years and the current year; (b) whether the Government supports and implements national football development strategies, such as those envisaged in the roadmap of All India Football Federation’s Vision 2047, including coach education, youth engagement and expansion of competitive leagues; (c) if so, the details of specific policies and funding provisions made for the creation and enhancement of football-specific infrastructure such as stadia, training grounds, coaching centres and grassroots facilities across the country, States/UTs-wise; (d) the details of total number of football pitches, turfs and training academies established or upgraded with Government support during the last five years and the current year, location-wise; (e) whether the Government proposes to further strengthen football infrastructure and ecosystem to nurture talent, increase Page 1 of 3participation and improve India’s competitiveness in regional and global football; and (f) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS [DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA] (a) to (f) Primary responsibility for the development and promotion of a sports discipline rests with the concerned recognized National Sports Federation (NSF), which in the case of football is the All India Football Federation. However, the Union Government supplements their efforts under its various schemes. Sports Authority of India (SAI) under Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is implementing the following Sports Promotional Schemes across the country to identify talented sportspersons at grassroots levels, including football players in the various age groups and nurture them to excel at national and international levels:  National Centres of Excellence (NCOE)  SAI Training Centre (STC)  Extension Centre of STC  National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) Further, under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs, financial assistance is provided to the recognized NSFs for training of athletes, which includes all requisite support for training, participation in international events, conduct of national championships, conduct of international tournaments in India, engagement of foreign coaches /support staff, scientific & medical support etc. It has been provisioned that at least 20% of their annual budget is earmarked for grassroots development through their affiliate units to ensure development of bench strength, by the NSFs. Further, under the Khelo India scheme, a total of 25 football fields, 191 Khelo India Centres (KIC) and 21 Khelo India Accredited Academies have been sanctioned/ notified, the detail of which is available in public domain on the dashboard of the Ministry at: Page 2 of 3https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in, https://dashboard.kheloindia.gov.in/khelo-india-center-dashboard ***** Page 3 of 3