Executive Summary:
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports to the Lok Sabha regarding rural women's participation in sports in Tamil Nadu. It outlines government initiatives to encourage women's involvement in sports, details support schemes for athletes from underprivileged backgrounds, and provides data on athlete selection and participation in various schemes and competitions. The data spans from 2020 to 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Government Initiatives and Schemes:**
* Sports development, including women's participation, primarily rests with State/Union Territory Governments.
* The Union Government supplements these efforts through various schemes.
* Key schemes include: Khelo India National Programme, Assistance to National Sports Federations, Cash Incentive to Medal Winners, National Sports Awards, Pension to Sportspersons, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Program, National Sports Development Fund, and Running Sports Training Centres (SAI).
* The "Sports for Women" vertical under the Khelo India Scheme specifically encourages women in sports.
* **Women Athletes Selected Under Schemes (2020-2025):**
* Sports Promotional Schemes of SAI: Selection numbers range from 78 to 160 annually.
* Khelo India Scheme: Selection numbers range from 94 to 199 annually.
* **Rural Women's Participation in Khelo India Games (Tamil Nadu):**
* Annexure I provides data on the number of rural women athletes from Tamil Nadu participating in Khelo India Games from 2018-2025.
* **Sports Training Centers:**
* SAI has established exclusive sports training centers for women at five locations across the country.
* Tamil Nadu has 38 Khelo India Centers (KICs) across 37 districts, supporting multiple sports.
* 37 Past Champion Athletes (PCAs) (19 male, 18 female) are actively engaged in coaching in KICs.
* 773 out of 1,558 athletes training in KICs are women.
* 20 Khelo India Accredited Academies are operational in Tamil Nadu.
Impact Analysis:
**State/Union Territory Governments:**
* Impact: Primary responsibility for sports development, including initiatives for women's participation.
* Action Required: Continue and enhance sports development programs, especially for women and underprivileged groups, while coordinating with Union Government initiatives.
**Women Athletes (Especially from SC/ST and Backward Regions of Tamil Nadu):**
* Impact: Beneficiaries of various sports promotion schemes and training centers.
* Action Required: Actively participate in available schemes and training programs to enhance their skills and compete at higher levels.
**Sports Authority of India (SAI):**
* Impact: Responsible for implementing and managing sports training centers and schemes.
* Action Required: Continue to operate and improve existing training centers, monitor the effectiveness of schemes, and adapt programs to maximize the participation and success of women athletes.
**Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:**
* Impact: Responsible for supplementing state efforts and implementing national sports schemes.
* Action Required: Oversee the implementation of sports schemes, monitor their impact, and make necessary adjustments to promote women's participation and overall sports development.
Key Entities Referenced
Tamil Nadu: A state in southern India, focus of the question regarding women's participation in sports.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: The Indian government ministry responsible for youth affairs and sports, answering the question.
Khelo India Scheme: A national program for development of sports in India, mentioned in the context of supporting women athletes.
Sports Authority of India (SAI): An organization under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, responsible for implementing sports schemes and running training centers.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF): A fund used to promote sports development, one of the schemes implemented by the Ministry.
Scheduled Castes (SCs): A group of historically disadvantaged communities in India, mentioned in the context of supporting women athletes from these communities.
Scheduled Tribes (STs): A group of indigenous communities in India, mentioned in the context of supporting women athletes from these communities.
NCOE Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh: One of the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) exclusive sports training centers for women.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS
(DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3524
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025
Rural Women participation in Sports in Tamil Nadu
3524. Shri Selvam G:
Shri C N Annadurai:
Shri Navaskani K:
Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has undertaken specific initiatives to
encourage greater participation of women in sports in the country,
particularly in the State like Tamil Nadu;
(b) the details of schemes or programmes in place to support women
athletes from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and
backward regions of Tamil Nadu;
(c) the number of women athletes from Tamil Nadu, including those from
SC/ST communities, selected under the Khelo India Scheme or other
schemes during the last five years;
(d) the number of rural women athletes from Tamil Nadu participated in
National/State-level competitions under Government-supported schemes
during the last five years; and
(e) whether there is any proposal of the Government to establish exclusive
training centres or sports academies for women, especially from
underprivileged backgrounds in Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS
{ DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA }
(a) and (b) ‘Sports’ being a State subject, the responsibility of development
of sports, including specific initiatives to encourage greater participation of
women in sports from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and
backward regions in the State of Tamil Nadu, rests primarily with the
Page 1 of 4State/Union Territory Governments. The Union Government supplements
their efforts by bridging critical gaps. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports
implements the following schemes to promote sports, including in the State
of Tamil Nadu:
(i) Khelo India - National Programme for Development of Sports;
(ii) Assistance to National Sports Federations;
(iii) Cash Incentive to Medal Winners in International Sports Events
and their Coaches;
(iv) National Sports Awards;
(v) Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons;
(vi) Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Program for
Sportspersons;
(vii) National Sports Development Fund (NSDF); and
(viii) Running Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of
India (SAI).
Details of the above schemes are available in the public domain on the
websites of this Ministry and SAI.
In addition, the ‘Sports for Women’ vertical under ‘Promotion of
Inclusiveness through Sports’ component of the Khelo India Scheme, is
specifically dedicated to encouragement of women in sports across the
country.
(c) The number of women athletes, including those belonging to SC/ST
communities, selected under the Sports Promotional Schemes of SAI,
including from the State of Tamil Nadu, over the past five years are as
under:
FY No. of Women Athletes
2020-2021 160
2021-2022 122
2022-2023 81
2023-2024 78
2024-2025 110
The number of women athletes, including those belonging to SC/ST
communities, selected under the Khelo India Scheme, including from the
State of Tamil Nadu, over the past five years are as under:
FY No. of Women Athletes
2020-2021 94
2021-2022 101
Page 2 of 42022-2023 167
2023-2024 173
2024-2025 199
(d) The number of rural women athletes from Tamil Nadu participated in
Khelo India Games under Khelo India Scheme during the last five years are
at Annexure-I.
(e) In order to provide focused support to women sportspersons across
the country, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has established exclusive
sports training centres for women at five locations across the country,
namely:
• NCOE Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) – 51 women athletes (Kabaddi
& Volleyball)
• STC Badal (Punjab) – 71 women athletes (Athletics, Boxing, Hockey &
Volleyball)
• STC Thalassery (Kerala) – 92 women athletes (Athletics, Fencing,
Gymnastics, Volleyball & Wrestling)
• STC Solalgaon – 52 women athletes (Boxing, Football & Weightlifting)
• STC Madikeri – 50 women athletes (Hockey)
Further, in the State of Tamil Nadu, a total of 38 Khelo India Centres (KICs)
have been established across 37 districts. These centres support multiple
sports disciplines including Athletics, Football, Hockey, Fencing, and Judo,
among others. Out of 38 sanctioned Past Champion Athletes (PCAs), 37 (19
male, 18 female) are actively engaged in coaching, and 773 out of 1,558
athletes currently training in these centres are women. The details of the
same is available at https://dashboard.kheloindia.gov.in/. In addition, 20
Khelo India Accredited Academies are operational in Tamil Nadu, where
women athletes also receive training and support under the Khelo India
scheme. Further, the details can also be found at
https://dashboard.kheloindia.gov.in/.
Page 3 of 4ANNEXURE-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3524 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025
REGARDING “RURAL WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS IN TAMIL NADU”
ASKED BY SHRI SELVAM G, SHRI C N ANNADURAI AND SHRI NAVASKANI K
HON’BLE MEMBERS OF LOK SABHA.
List of Women Participation in Khelo India Games from Tamil Nadu
SN Total Boys Girls Edition Year
Participation
1 191 68 123 KISG 2018 2018
2 367 185 182 KIYG 2019 2019
3 336 151 185 KIYG 2020 2020
4 305 124 181 KIYG 2021 2022
5 233 105 128 KIYG 2022 2023
6 497 254 243 KIYG 2023 2024
7 5071 125 172 KIYG 2025 2025
8 192 84 108 KIUG 2020 2020
9 341 133 208 KIUG 2021 2022
10 309 161 148 KIUG 2022 2023
11 310 160 150 KIUG 2023 2024
12 100 75 25 KIPG 2023 2023
13 1171 108 16 KIPG 2025 2025
14 1 1 0 KIWG 2024 2024
15 11 6 5 KIWG 2025 2025
16 811 20 7 KIBG 2025 2025
*****
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