Lok Sabha Question No. 4134 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-10
Subject: Promotion of Football
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR S.R., SUDHEER GUPTA, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, HARI BABU KAMBHAMPATI, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR

## MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4134

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2017

Promotion of Football

4134. SHRI S. R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHTO:

Dr. KAMBHAMPATI HARIBABU:

SHRI ASHOK SHANDARRAO CHAVAN:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will  the  Minister  of  YOUTH  AFFAIRS  AND  SPORTS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has drawn up a policy for the promotion and development of football in the country;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof and if not, the reason therefor;
- (c) whether the Government organizes training camps for football games at village level in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  funds  allocated/spent  for  the  promotion  and  development  of football games during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to enhance interest in football games at school and college level; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to host any Football World Cup matches in the country in coming years and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (SHRI VIJAY GOEL)

(a) to   (c): 'Sports' is a State subject and the primary responsibility of development  of Sports rests with the State Governments and the concerned National Sports Federations (NSFs) including organizing training camps for football at village level. NSFs are  responsible  and  accountable  for  the  overall  management, direction, control, regulation, promotion and development of respective sports disciplines. The Government only supplements the efforts of recognized NSFs, including the sports discipline of football, by  providing  financial  assistance  for  training  and  participation  of sportspersons/teams in international tournaments abroad, holding of national and international tournaments in India, purchase of equipment,  training  of  national  teams/sportspersons  under  Indian and foreign coaches with requisite technical & scientific back up. Government  has  recognized  All  India  Football  Federation  (AIFF) which is responsible for promotion and development of football in the country.    Also  Government  has  placed  football  in  the  'Priority' Category so that it gets maximum assistance under the Scheme of Assistance to the NSFs.

To popularize football in the country, the Government, in collaboration with FIFA, has launched an outreach program named ' Mission XI Million' whereby various programmes are to be held in 30 cities in the country in the run up to FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup 2017.  This programme is aimed to associate atleast 11 million students, parents, coaches, teachers etc. by way  of holding workshops, seminars, contact programs, competitions etc.  During 2016-17,  an  amount  of  Rs.  30.00  crores  was  allocated  by  the Government to effectively implement this programme in the country. During the current financial year Rs. 10.00 crores  has  been earmarked for this Programme.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through Sports Authority of India (SAI) is also implementing the following sports promotional schemes across  the  country  to  identify  talented  sports  persons  in  the  age group  of  8-25  years  and  nurture  them  to  excel  at  national  and international competitions:

-  National Sports Talent Contest Scheme (NSTC)
-  Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC)
-  SAI Training Centre (STC)
-  Special Area Games (SAG)
-  Extension Centre of STC/SAG
-  Centre of Excellence (COE)
-  National Sports Academies (NSA)

Football is one of the sports discipline among 27 sports discipline being implemented by SAI in the above mentioned Sports Promotional Schemes.

In order to promote Football at the grass root level and to excel at National  and  International  competition,  under  SAI  Schemes,  the talented Football players in the age group ranging from 8-25 years are identified, and trained in SAI Sports Centres.

To  promote  football  discipline  on  single  discipline  basis,  Sports Authority of India (SAI) has introduced Regional Football Academy (RFA) Scheme and accordingly 04 such RFAs have been set up at New Delhi,  Thiruvananthapuram,  Imphal  and  Kolkata.    At  present,  129 talented football players are being trained with international standard facilities.

- (d) Funds released under the Scheme for Assistance to NSFs for the promotion and development of football during the last three years and current year are as under:

Rupees in lakhs

|   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 (up to June, 2017 |
|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------------|
|    131.63 |     154.3 |    909.53 |                      359.27 |

- (e) For  development  and  promotion  of  sports,  including  football,  in schools and colleges, the Government has recognized School Games Federation  of  India  (SGFI)  and  Association  of  Indian  Universities (AIU) respectively and provides them same level of assistance as are  available  to  National  Sports  Federations  (NSFs)  in  'Priority' Category.
- (f) The  Football  World  Cups  are  allotted  by  International  Football Federation (FIFA) on the basis of biddings by the national bodies. Government  has  granted  permission  to  AIFF  for  hosting  of  FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India in October, 2017.  Besides that the Government has not received any other proposal from AIFF in the recent past to grant permission for bidding to host any of Football World Cup.

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