Lok Sabha Question No. 512 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-04
Subject: Traditional sports in India
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Preneet Kaur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 512 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2021

## Traditional sports in India

512.  SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  any  policy/plan  to  develop  and promote the culture of sports in India, especially in rural areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  revive  traditional sports in India;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  any  policy/plan  to  hire  more  Indian coaches; and
- (d) if so, the manner in which the Government proposes to do so;
- (e) whether the Government proposes any incentive system/mechanism for the Indian coaches and if so, the details thereof;
- (f)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  facilitate  different sports players forced to train indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- (g) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to boost and revive the sports industry in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS { SHRI KIREN RIJIJU }

- (a)  The  Ministry  of  Youth  Affairs  &  Sports  is  already  running  schemes  for promotion of sports culture as well as attaining excellence in sports. These schemes include:-
- (i)  Khelo  India  Scheme  (ii)  Assistance  to  National  Sports  Federations; (iii)Special  Awards  to  Winners  in  International  sports  events  and  their Coaches;  (iv) National Sports Awards,  Pension  to  Meritorious Sports Persons;  (v)  National  Sports  Development  Fund;  and  (vi)  Sports  Training Centres run through Sports Authority of India. The Ministry is also promoting rural  and  indigenous/tribal  games  under  the  'Khelo  India  Scheme'  and through the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' (EBSB) programme. Most athletes benefitting under these schemes come from rural areas.
- (b)  For  traditional  sports,  the  Department  of  Sports  conducted  36  EBSB Championship events at 19 venues across the country through the National Sports Federations in 2019-20. Approximately, 2250 sportspersons participated in these events.

Due  to  Covid-19  pandemic  the  Department  of  Sports  used  the  Digital Medium to spread the awareness of Indigenous  Games of various States/UTs. The Department made documentaries of 19 indigenous games, namely,  Gatka,  Roll  Ball,  Tug  of  War,  Kalaripayattu,  Thang-Ta,  Kho-Kho, Mallakhamb,  Shooting  Ball,  Sqay,  Kabaddi,  Gilli  Danda  (Gujarat),  Sikkim Archery, Dhoop Khel & Cowrie Khel (Assam), Paika Akhada & Chhau(Odisha)  and  Akhada  Kushti  (Uttar  Pradesh),  Hekko  (Nagaland), Mizoram  Games,  Silambam  (Puducherry)  Lagori  and  Langadi  (Goa),  and uploaded these documentaries on the Digital Repository  of the Ek Bharat Shreshtha  Bharat  website,  Facebook  page  of  the  Fit  India  Movement, Youtube  channel  of  Fit  India  Movement  and  Youtube  channel  of  MyGov India.

- (c) and (d) Yes, Sir. Following actions have been taken in this regard:-
- i.  Notification  for  appointment  for  Olympians/Para-Olympians  as Coach in Sports Authority of India has already been published. 23 vacancies of Asstt. Coach and 04 vacancies of Coach will be filled from Olympians/Para-Olympians.
- ii.    Recruitment Rules (RRs) of Coaches in SAI have been amended to appoint coaches on Contract/Deputation in SAI.
- iii.        In  order to fill  the vacancy especially at the higher level, it is decided  to  engage  outstanding  sportsperson/coaches  working  in  other organization on deputation.

Further,  more  and  more  Indian  Coaches  are  engaged  in  training  of athletes in National Coaching Camps, Khelo India Academies and National

Centre  of  Excellence  (NCoEs).  The  coaches  so  engaged  also  includes  Ex International players. They are appointed by a duly constituted Committee.

(e) Yes, Sir. The Governing Body of Sports Authority of India has approved Out of Turn Promotions to sportspersons/coaches for excellence in Sports event at par with DoPT guidelines.

(f)  The  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  facilitate  different sports players forced to train indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic are at Annexure.

(g)  The  Ministry  has  organised  discussions  with  representatives  of  the sports industry, including CII, ASSOCHAM, FICCI and CSRI regarding the key challenges  faced  by  them  and  to  boost  and  revive  the  sports  industry  in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  512  TO  BE ANSWERED  ON  04.02.2021 REGARDING  'TRADITIONAL  SPORTS  IN  INDIA'  ASKED  BY  SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR, HON'BLE MEMBER OF LOK SABHA

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, inter-alia, the following measures were taken to ensure a smooth training for the sportspersons including those we who have qualified for upcoming 2021 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo Japan so that their performance is not affected.

- i.  Regular  Online/Class  conducted  for  athletes  by  the  coaches  to keep  them  motivated  and  fit  during  lock  down  period.  Athletes  were provided with online training module for daily practice.
- ii.  Regular interaction with the athletes was done in order to boost their morale and keep them motivated in these though time. Seminars and workshops  by  experts  in  Sports  psychology,  sports  science,  nutrition  in COVID-19,  strength  &  conditioning  high  performance  sports  environment anti-doping have been organized via, video conferencing , social media like Facebook live, Instagram Live etc. to educate athletes about how to cope with  stress  and  depression  during  though  times  and  focusing  on  their objectives so that the training is not hampered.
- iii.  Athletes  were  provided  with  necessary  sporting  equipment  to enable them to keep fit, Further, those Olympic bound athletes who could not go back to their places due to lock down were given equipment in their rooms for training in SAI Centres.
- iv.  Due  to  the  spread  of  Covid-19  all  the  conventional  training programmes  being  conducted  in  all  SAI  centres  across  the  country  were stopped and all National and International sports events were postponed/cancelled.  Also,  Olympics  and  Paralympics,  2020  for  the  first time in the history of the modern games, have been postponed, and will be held in 2021. Foreign training of Indian athletes were curtailed.

In the view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the following measures were taken to  ensure  a  smooth  training  for  the  upcoming  2021  Olympic  Games  to  be held in Tokyo, Japan:

Non-Conventional Training Methods:

- i)  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  were  laid  down  to  resume  sports activities in the training centres under the name of 'Khelo India-Firr Se'.

The SOPs covers all stakeholders at the training centres including:

- All Athletes
- All technical and non-technical support staff
- All administrative staff
- All hostel and facility management staff
- All visitors to the centre

A COVID Task Force Committee has been set-up to ensure the guidelines are strictly implemented at the training centre. The committee is responsible  for  the  constant  monitoring  and  management  of  the  health protocols of the government.

The  SOP  categorises  the  sporting  disciplines  into  non-contact  sports, minimal/medium-contact sports, full contact sports and water sports. ii)  The athletes were provided with necessary sporting equipment such as (Barbell  Rods,  weights,  Exercise  Bicycle  etc.),  air  pellets,  target  system with the help from SAI Regional Centres, State Governments and NGOs at their homes during the first phases of nationwide lockdown so that they can

- train within their homes.
- iii)  Regular  interaction  with  the  athletes  was  done  in  order  to  boost  their morale  and  keep  them  motivated  in  these  tough  times.  Seminars  and workshops  by  experts  in  sports  psychology,  sports  science/medicine, nutrition in Covid, strength &  conditioning, high performance  sports environment, anti-doping have been organized for TOPS athletes via, video conferencing, social media like Facebook Live, Insta Live etc.

Further, in the view of the COVID-19 pandemic, following various measures were  taken  to  facilitates  sportspersons  under  various  Sports  Promotional Schemes:-

1. Regular  Online  Training  /  Class  conducted  for  athletes by  the coaches to keep them motivated and fit during lock down period. Athletes were provided with online training module for daily practice.
2. Seminars  and  workshops  conducted  in  sports  psychology,  sports science/ medicine, nutrition in Covid, strength & conditioning, high performance sports environment, anti-doping.

Athletes & Coach Education Programme and Coach Development Programme (ACEP/ CDP) were conducted and lectures were delivered by the Foreign Coaches and Sports Experts in different sports discipline.

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