Lok Sabha Question No. 12 (STARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Initiatives/Schemes for Welfare of Sportspersons
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri Yogender Chandolia, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

## DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 12 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

Initiatives/Schemes for Welfare of Sportspersons

- *12.  Shri Yogender Chandolia:

Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat:

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

- (a) whether any initiative has been taken by the Government to address the challenges faced by the sportspersons, coaches/trainers and strengthen  the  financial  security,  training  infrastructure  and  mental wellness support for the sportspersons and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  for  providing  timely disbursal of financial assistance and incentives to the sportspersons under various schemes;
- (c) the number of sportspersons benefitted from the Welfare and Support Schemes for Sportspersons during the last five years and current year in the country, State/UT-wise, including NCT of Delhi;
- (d) the manner in which the revised scheme for providing Assistance to the National Sports Federations (NSF) addresses the challenges faced by the athletes and coaches/trainers;
- (e) the sports disciplines identified by the Government to promote league culture; and

(f) the role of the said scheme in promoting long-term goal of becoming a global sporting superpower and hosting the 2036 Olympic Games?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  12  FOR  ANSWER  ON  21.07.2025  REGARDING 'INITIATIVES/SCHEMES FOR WELFARE OF SPORTSPERSONS' ASKED BY SHRI YOGENDER  CHANDOLIA AND SMT. KAMALJEET  SEHRAWAT, HON'BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

- (a): Yes, Sir. 'Sports' being a State subject the responsibility for providing sports infrastructure and training rests with the State Government. The Central  Government  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  State  Government. Further, the Government has undertaken a series of measures to address the  challenges  faced  by  sportspersons  and  coaches/trainers,  aimed  at enhancing  their  financial  security,  training  infrastructure,  and  mental wellness  support  through  various  schemes/programmes  of  this  Ministry such as:
-  Target  Olympic  Podium  Scheme  (TOPS):  Provides  comprehensive support to selected sportspersons including monthly Out-of-Pocket Allowance (OPA), access to international training, coaching, physiotherapy, mental conditioning, and equipment.
-  Khelo India Scheme: Focuses on talent identification, infrastructure development,  athlete  scholarships,  and  coaching  support  at  both grassroots and elite levels.
-  Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF): Financial support is provided towards training of athletes which includes all requisite facilities for their preparations including wholesome nutritious diet, food supplements, equipment support, state-of-the-art infrastructure, lodging, travelling facilities, services of reputed Coaches/supporting staff, scientific & medical support, sports kit, etc. besides financial assistance for their training abroad and participation in international competitions in India and abroad.
-  Scheme  of  Sports  Fund  for  Pension  to  Meritorious  Sportspersons provides additional financial security to sportspersons post retirement from active sports career in the form of life-time pension ranging  from  ₹12,000/-  to  ₹20,000/-  per  month.  The  sportspersons, who  are  retired  from  an  active  sports  career  and  won  medals  in

Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, World Cup, World Championships, Asian Games, Para Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, are eligible for life-time pension under the scheme.

-  Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Program for Sportspersons  :  Provides  financial  aid  to  sportspersons  and  their families for injury, hardship, equipment, and event participation etc.

To provide mental wellness support to sportspersons, sport psychologists and  mental  trainers  are  engaged  at  both  national  team  and  individual levels.  Presence  of  a  sports  psychologist,  including  High-Performance Analyst (Psychology) or Performance Analyst (Psychology) is ensured at the National Centres of Excellence (NCoE) of SAI. These sports psychologists  are  responsible  for  helping  the  athletes  with  the  mental training pertaining to optimal performance, as well as enabling them to achieve emotional wellbeing also.

Further the Government has recently announced Khelo Bharat Niti-2025 which also, inter-alia, has provisions to address the challenges being faced by the sportspersons and the coaches/trainers.

- (b): The  Government  has  adopted  a  series  of  measures  to  ensure  the timely and transparent disbursal of financial assistance and incentives to sportspersons/coaches  under  various  schemes.  Key  measures  among these is the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism for  disbursement  and  online  portals  to  digitize  the    process  of  inviting applications,  thus  ensuring  the  timely  and  efficient  disbursement  of financial assistance/incentives to beneficiaries. Under this system, financial assistance/support is directly transferred into the bank accounts of the sportspersons/coaches thereby eliminating delays, reduces administrative  bottlenecks,  and  ensures  that  the  benefits  reach  the intended beneficiaries in a timely and efficient manner.
- (c): The details are placed at Annexure - I.
- (d): The  amendment  to  the  Scheme  of  Assistance  to  National  Sports Federations (ANSF), have been notified by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in May 2025. The key features of the revised norms of ANSF are annexed at Annexure - II.

These revisions aim to create a high-performance ecosystem that supports athlete excellence and coach empowerment while ensuring financial and operational transparency across the sports system.

- (e): Several NSFs and sports organisations are organising professional and semi-professional  leagues  in  a  range  of  disciplines,  including  Cricket, Football, Rugby, Volleyball, Kho-Kho, and Basketball. These leagues not only help in scouting and grooming emerging talent from grassroots levels but  also  promote  regional  representation  and  encourage  private  sector participation and sponsorship.
- (f): The  Government,  through  schemes  such  as  the  Target  Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF), is working with a long-term vision to establish India as a global sporting superpower and prepare the ecosystem for the 2036 Olympic Games. Key initiatives include:
- (i) Focused  Support  to Future Medal  Probables under  the  TOPS Development Group for the 2032 and 2036 Olympics.
- (ii) The revised ANSF norms mandate that at least 20% of National Sports Federations (NSFs) budgets be allocated to grassroots development.
- (iii) NSFs are now empowered to hire foreign coaches and experts with enhanced financial limits. Additionally, High Performance Directors (HPDs) are mandated in large NSFs to lead long-term technical planning.
- (iv) Financial support for hosting international competitions in India has been significantly increased upto Rs.2 crore.
- (v) Transparent, Decentralized, and Inclusive Development: The revised norms require NSFs to publish transparent selection policies in advance and  support  the  decentralized  development  of  academies  across  the country.  Additionally,  provision  of  diet  allowances  of  ₹10,000/month  for

athletes during non-camp periods ensures athletes can maintain training standards even at the local level. (vi) Integrated Sports Science and Medical Support: A scientific approach to  training  is  supported  with  enhanced  provisions  for  periodic  medical assessments, injury prevention, and sports science monitoring, laying the groundwork for sustained athlete health and peak performance.

*****

Annexure-I

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  12  FOR  ANSWER  ON  21.07.2025  REGARDING 'INITIATIVES/SCHEMES FOR WELFARE OF SPORTSPERSONS'

1. Total  number  of  beneficiaries  under  Scheme  of  Sports  Fund  for Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons.
2. The  total beneficiaries under the Pandit  Deendayal  Upadhyay National Welfare Program for Sportspersons.

|       | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   |
|-------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| S.no. | States           | 2020- 2021       | 2021- 2022       | 2022- 2023       | 2023- 2024       | 2024- 2025       | 2025- 26         |
| 1     | Punjab           | 6                | 3                | 2                | 3                | 1                | 2                |
| 2     | Madhya Pradesh   | 3                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 0                | 0                |
| 3     | Tamil Nadu       | 1                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 0                | 0                |
| 4     | Maharashtra      | 5                | 3                | 3                | 3                | 1                | 2                |
| 5     | Odisha           | 1                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 2                | 1                |
| 6     | Assam            | 2                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                |
| 7     | Uttar Pradesh    | 1                | 1                | 0                | 1                | 1                | 1                |
| 8     | West Bengal      | 1                | 0                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 1                |
| 9     | Haryana          | 6                | 5                | 10               | 6                | 3                | 1                |
| 10    | Delhi            | 1                | 1                | 1                | 2                | 2                | 1                |
| 11    | Manipur          | 1                | 0                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 0                |
| 12    | Jharkhand        | 1                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                |
| 13    | Karnataka        | 1                | 3                | 1                | 0                | 3                | 0                |

| 14   | Kerala                  |   3 |   8 |   0 |   0 |   2 |   1 |
|------|-------------------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| 15   | Himachal Pradesh        |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |
| 16   | Andhra Pradesh          |   0 |   1 |   1 |   0 |   0 |   1 |
| 17   | Rajasthan               |   0 |   0 |   1 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 18   | Telangana               |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |   1 |   0 |
| 19   | Manali                  |   0 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |
| 20   | Tripura                 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |
| 21   | Total                   |  33 |  26 |  20 |  23 |  17 |  13 |
| 22   | Number of Beneficiaries |  33 |  26 |  20 |  23 |  17 |  13 |
|      | Grand Total             | 132 | 132 | 132 | 132 | 132 | 132 |

|       | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   |
|-------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| S.no. | States           | 2020- 2021       | 2021- 2022       | 2022- 2023       | 2023- 2024       | 2024- 2025       |
| 1     | Delhi            | 7                | 5                | 7                | 4                | 0                |
| 2     | Andhra Pradesh   | 2                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 3                |
| 3     | Uttar Pradesh    | 5                | 7                | 7                | 6                | 7                |
| 4     | Haryana          | 7                | 8                | 5                | 14               | 12               |
| 5     | West Bengal      | 1                | 3                | 3                | 4                | 0                |
| 6     | Rajasthan        | 2                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 2                |
| 7     | Bihar            | 1                | 4                | 1                | 0                | 0                |
| 8     | Manipur          | 2                | 4                | 0                | 0                | 0                |
| 9     | Maharashtra      | 2                | 6                | 7                | 6                | 2                |
| 10    | Jharkhand        | 2                | 2                | 1                | 0                | 0                |
| 11    | Karnataka        | 2                | 6                | 2                | 0                | 1                |
| 12    | Punjab           | 2                | 3                | 1                | 1                | 0                |
| 13    | Jammu & Kashmir  | 1                | 1                | 4                | 2                | 1                |
| 14    | Madhya Pradesh   | 1                | 1                | 1                | 0                | 2                |
| 15    | Chhattisgarh     | 1                | 2                | 2                | 0                | 0                |
| 16    | Assam            | 0                | 1                | 1                | 1                | 0                |

| 17          | Gujrat            |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |   0 |
|-------------|-------------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| 18          | Tamil Nadu        |   0 |   1 |   3 |   3 |   5 |
| 19          | Bangalore         |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 20          | Kerala            |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 21          | Himachal Pradesh  |   0 |   0 |   2 |   0 |   2 |
| 22          | Arunachal Pradesh |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |   2 |
| 23          | Uttarakhand       |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 24          | Pune              |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 25          | Chandigarh        |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 26          | Odisha            |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |
| 27          | Telangana         |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |   0 |
| Total       | Total             |  38 |  55 |  54 |  45 |  39 |
| Grand Total | Grand Total       | 231 | 231 | 231 | 231 | 231 |

## 3. Beneficiaries under TARGET OLYMPIC PODIUM SCHEME.

|   Sl. No. | Name of State     |   No. of Athletes |
|-----------|-------------------|-------------------|
|         1 | Andaman & Nicobar |                 0 |
|         2 | Andhra Pradesh    |                 4 |
|         3 | Arunachal         |                 0 |
|         4 | Assam             |                 5 |
|         5 | Bihar             |                 1 |
|         6 | Chandigarh        |                 4 |
|         7 | Chhattisgarh      |                 3 |
|         8 | Delhi             |                22 |
|         9 | Goa               |                 1 |
|        10 | Gujarat           |                10 |
|        11 | Haryana           |               121 |
|        12 | Himachal          |                 1 |
|        13 | Jammu & Kashmir   |                 2 |
|        14 | Jharkhand         |                10 |
|        15 | Karnataka         |                19 |
|        16 | Kerala            |                12 |
|        17 | Madhya Pradesh    |                12 |
|        18 | Maharashtra       |                33 |
|        19 | Manipur           |                13 |
|        20 | Meghalaya         |                 1 |
|        21 | Mizoram           |                 2 |
|        22 | Odisha            |                12 |
|        23 | Punjab            |                35 |
|        24 | Rajasthan         |                21 |

|   25 | Sikkim        |   1 |
|------|---------------|-----|
|   26 | Tamil Nadu    |  25 |
|   27 | Telangana     |  13 |
|   28 | Tripura       |   1 |
|   29 | Uttar Pradesh |  23 |
|   30 | Uttarakhand   |   9 |
|   31 | West Bengal   |  11 |

4. The details of athletes who have been benefited/provided financial assistance under the Khelo India Scheme (Year-wise & State -wise) details thereof:

| State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   | State & Year wise financial support / scholarships to KIAs under Khelo India Scheme   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SN                                                                                    | State / UT                                                                            | 2025- 26 (Q1)                                                                         | 2024- 25                                                                              | 2023- 24                                                                              | 2022- 23                                                                              | 2021- 22                                                                              | 2020- 21                                                                              | 2019- 20                                                                              |
| 1                                                                                     | Andaman & Nicobar Islands                                                             | 4                                                                                     | 4                                                                                     | 3                                                                                     | 3                                                                                     | 6                                                                                     | 8                                                                                     | 7                                                                                     |
| 2                                                                                     | Andhra Pradesh                                                                        | 57                                                                                    | 63                                                                                    | 49                                                                                    | 55                                                                                    | 43                                                                                    | 56                                                                                    | 40                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                     | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                     | 17                                                                                    | 16                                                                                    | 14                                                                                    | 11                                                                                    | 9                                                                                     | 12                                                                                    | 9                                                                                     |
| 4                                                                                     | Assam                                                                                 | 53                                                                                    | 42                                                                                    | 39                                                                                    | 43                                                                                    | 54                                                                                    | 45                                                                                    | 36                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                     | Bihar                                                                                 | 17                                                                                    | 14                                                                                    | 14                                                                                    | 9                                                                                     | 8                                                                                     | 10                                                                                    | 12                                                                                    |
| 6                                                                                     | Chandigarh                                                                            | 34                                                                                    | 34                                                                                    | 30                                                                                    | 40                                                                                    | 39                                                                                    | 46                                                                                    | 33                                                                                    |
| 7                                                                                     | Chhattisgarh                                                                          | 31                                                                                    | 37                                                                                    | 45                                                                                    | 35                                                                                    | 44                                                                                    | 30                                                                                    | 22                                                                                    |
| 8                                                                                     | Daman Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli                                                      | 2                                                                                     | 3                                                                                     | 3                                                                                     | 2                                                                                     | 1                                                                                     | 4                                                                                     | 1                                                                                     |
| 9                                                                                     | Delhi                                                                                 | 140                                                                                   | 156                                                                                   | 163                                                                                   | 199                                                                                   | 212                                                                                   | 254                                                                                   | 195                                                                                   |
| 10                                                                                    | Goa                                                                                   | 4                                                                                     | 6                                                                                     | 10                                                                                    | 18                                                                                    | 16                                                                                    | 18                                                                                    | 16                                                                                    |
| 11                                                                                    | Gujarat                                                                               | 68                                                                                    | 64                                                                                    | 65                                                                                    | 81                                                                                    | 67                                                                                    | 104                                                                                   | 106                                                                                   |
| 12                                                                                    | Haryana                                                                               | 497                                                                                   | 490                                                                                   | 467                                                                                   | 432                                                                                   | 392                                                                                   | 438                                                                                   | 375                                                                                   |
| 13                                                                                    | Himachal Pradesh                                                                      | 32                                                                                    | 30                                                                                    | 28                                                                                    | 34                                                                                    | 33                                                                                    | 26                                                                                    | 19                                                                                    |
| 14                                                                                    | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                       | 14                                                                                    | 17                                                                                    | 19                                                                                    | 20                                                                                    | 30                                                                                    | 20                                                                                    | 13                                                                                    |

| 15           | Jharkhand      | 51   |   54 |   47 | 40   | 24   | 27   |   27 |
|--------------|----------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
| 16           | Karnataka      | 160  |  157 |  138 | 136  | 144  | 159  |  173 |
| 17           | Kerala         | 114  |   94 |  108 | 103  | 109  | 126  |  131 |
| 18 Ladakh    | 1              |      |    1 |    0 | 1 0  | 0    |      |    1 |
| 19           | Lakshadweep    | 1    |    1 |    1 | 0 0  |      | 0    |    0 |
| 20           | Madhya Pradesh | 97   |  109 |  114 | 100  | 109  | 54   |   72 |
| 21           | Maharashtra    | 303  |  325 |  347 | 365  | 415  | 347  |  365 |
| 22           | Manipur        | 116  |  109 |  105 | 126  | 189  | 255  |  203 |
| 23 Meghalaya | 4              |      |    5 |    2 | 3    | 13   | 6    |   12 |
| 24           | Mizoram        | 15   |   10 |   15 | 28   | 25   | 39   |   26 |
| 25           | Nagaland       | 1    |    2 |    1 | 1    | 0    | 5    |    0 |
| 26           | Odisha         | 81   |   77 |   70 | 57   | 66   | 47   |   53 |
| 27           | Puducherry     | 8    |    5 |    7 | 7    | 6    | 13   |    6 |
| 28           | Punjab         | 144  |  159 |  169 | 179  | 161  | 158  |  188 |
| 29           | Rajasthan      | 155  |  137 |  105 | 81   | 108  | 137  |   95 |
| 30           | Sikkim         | 0    |    1 |    1 | 2    | 6    | 9    |    3 |
| 31 Tamil     | Nadu           | 190  |  199 |  173 | 167  | 101  | 94   |   92 |
| 32           | Telangana      | 58   |   72 |   59 | 51   | 55   | 132  |   60 |
| 33           | Tripura        | 3    |    5 |    5 | 8    | 11   | 23   |    9 |
| 34 Uttar     | Pradesh        | 176  |  190 |  186 | 191  | 186  | 139  |  159 |
| 35           | Uttarakhand    | 49   |   45 |   32 | 40   | 53   | 94   |   69 |
| 36           | West Bengal    | 111  |  112 |  118 | 91   | 81   | 95   |   83 |
| Total        | Total          | 2808 | 2845 | 2752 | 2759 | 2816 | 3030 | 2711 |

Annexure - II

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  12  FOR  ANSWER  ON  21.07.2025  REGARDING 'INITIATIVES/SCHEMES FOR WELFARE OF SPORTSPERSONS'

The  key  features  under  the  scheme  of  Assistance  to  National  Sports Federations (ANSF) for addressing the challenges are as follows:

- (i)
- Improved Athlete Support Infrastructure:
-  Enhanced  financial  assistance  for  organizing  national  coaching camps  with  better  infrastructure,  sports  science  support,  and training facilities.
-  Assistance for hiring foreign coaches, sports scientists, psychologists, and mental trainers to improve the quality of preparation and athlete well-being.
- (ii)
- Focus on Financial Security and Recognition for Coaches:
-  The remuneration ceilings for coaches and support staff have been significantly increased, with the limit for Chief Coaches revised from ₹3 lakh to ₹7.5 lakh per month.
-  Disturbance allowance of ₹1 lakh/month is provided to Government/PSU-employed coaches joining national camps, ensuring fair compensation and retention of top talent.
- (iii) Structured and Transparent Selection Process:
-  NSFs are now required to publish athlete and coach selection policies well in advance (one year for Continental/World events and two years for Olympics/Asian Games), promoting transparency and predictability in selection.
- (iv) Greater Emphasis on Grassroots and Junior Development:
-  NSFs must earmark at least 20% of their annual budget for grassroots development  through  their  affiliates,  ensuring  talent  identification and progression from the junior level.
-  Dedicated junior development programs are to be overseen by NSFlevel committees, supported through convergence with other Ministry schemes.
- (v) Sports Science and Nutrition Support:
-  Financial  support  for  medical  assessments,  diet,  and  scientific monitoring has been enhanced (e.g., diet charges increased, monthly allowance of ₹10,000 for probables during non-camp periods).
-  Centralized IT portal has been made mandatory for tracking training loads, injuries, and recovery.
- (vi) Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer:
-  Mandatory engagement of Coaching Education Experts and contribution  by  foreign  experts  to  train  domestic  coaches  and technical staff, thereby building long-term institutional capacity.

****