Sports Authority of India Has Cleared the Names of 734 Players for a Scholarship Under Khelo India Programme

The Sports Authority of India better known as SAI today had good news in store for the athletes. The official body cleared the names of 734 players for a scholarship programme of Khelo India Talent Identification Development scheme. With this, the players will get to train at the government-accredited residential academies.  The players will also be entitled to get an annual stipend of Rs 1.2 lakh.

The stipend will be distributed on a quarterly basis so that the players can take care of pocket expenses, injuries and other expenditures. The training, boarding and tournament expenses will be incurred by the accredited academies. A release from the Sports Ministry said, "For the first time ever, in order to create a strong ecosystem for nurturing talent, various private, state and SAI academies have been accredited. A High Powered Committee accredited 21 non-SAI academies as well. The plan is to develop more such academies so that young athletes can get access to the best training without having to travel long distances.”

The Talent Identification Committee will comprise Arjuna awardees and Dronacharya awardees. “The High Powered Committee also decided that a strong performance management system would be in place and performance be rewarded. If athletes are not fulfilling this criterion and coming up to the requisite standards, they may be weeded out from the academies. It was also decided that the academies will be divided into three categories. To encourage excellence, there will be gap analysis which will offer these academies opportunities for upgradation. At the same time, there will be a strong review mechanism for academies on a periodical basis. Academies that do not maintain desired standards and fulfil the performance criteria may be delisted," the release said.

In case of an injury of the athlete, the Committee will encourage the players to report immediately so that they can start with the process of rehabilitation. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said that "transformational changes have been introduced into Indian sports". "Catch them young is no longer a slogan but is visible in our action. We are developing a sports system that connects local potential to global podiums, that encourages every Indian to have sports as a part of their lives for entertainment, education or excellence,” he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2018 10:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).