Khelo India biggest beneficiary in Union Budget for sports

New Delhi: Khelo India, which is the government's flagship project to promote sports at the grassroots level, was once again the biggest beneficiary in the Union Budget for the Sports Ministry as it was assigned Rs 900 crore from the overall allocation of Rs 3,442.32 crore on Tuesday.

Kehlo India's share, announced in the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is Rs 20 crore more than the revised allocation of Rs 880 crore during the previous financial year.

With the Olympic cycle set to come to an end in Paris in August this year, and the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games still two years away, the budget for the Sports Ministry has seen only a marginal increase of Rs 45.36 crore from the previous cycle.

The budget for the previous cycle was Rs 3,396.96 crore.

The government has invested heavily in Khelo India over the years as the programme continues to unearth talent from all parts of the country.

While Khelo India's actual allocation in 2022-23 stood at Rs 596.39 crore, it was increased by more than Rs 400 crore, to Rs 1,000 crores, in the 2023-24 budget, before being revised to Rs 880 crore.

The government has continued to add programmes ever since the inaugural Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) were held in 2018.

The ministry added Khelo India University Games in 2020, before also launching the Khelo India Winter Games the same year and the Khelo India Para Games in 2023.

Hundreds of Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) have been set up across the country, which aim to provide facilities for athletes with potential. Several Khelo India athletes are currently in India's Olympic-bound contingent.

The government's assistance to the National Sports Federations (NSFs) has also seen an increase of Rs 15 crore -- from Rs 325 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 340 crore in the latest budget.

The budget for Sports Authority of India, which apart from maintaining its stadia across the country also manages the Target Olympic Podium Scheme to prepare athletes for the global sporting extravaganzas, has also been enhanced from Rs 795.77 crore to Rs 822.60 crore, which is a jump of Rs 26.83 crore.

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), which does all the testing, have received marginal increase in their budgets.

While NADA's budget has gone up from Rs 21.73 crore last year to Rs 22.30 crore, NDTL has got Rs 22 crore, up from Rs 19.50 last year.