Lok Sabha Question No. 3524 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-11
Subject: Rural Women participation in Sports in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri Navaskani K, Shri Selvam G, Shri C N Annadurai

## 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

State/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 |

| 2022-2023   |   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/.

ANNEXURE-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 Participation |   Boys |   Girls | Edition   |   Year |
|------|-----------------------|--------|---------|-----------|--------|
|    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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