Lok Sabha Question No. 2443 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Athletes participated in Khelo India Youth Games
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri Malaiyarasan D

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2443 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025

Athletes participated in Khelo India Youth Games

2443. Shri Malaiyarasan D:

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

- (a) the total number of athletes and sports infrastructure projects supported under the Khelo India Scheme since its inception, year and State-wise data, particularly for Tamil Nadu;
- (b) whether the Government has ensured equitable distribution of funds and facilities  across  all  States,  especially  in  the  Southern  States  and  the criteria used for such allocation;
- (c)  the  details  of  such  Centres  and  Talent  Identification  Programmes  and the number of athletes participated in Khelo India Youth Games and other national events under the said scheme;
- (d) whether  any  proposals from the Government  of  Tamil Nadu  for infrastructure development or athlete support under Khelo India are pending with the Centre and if so, the reasons for the delay therefor; and
- (e)  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  strengthen  grassroots sports,  promote  traditional  and  indigenous  sports,  ensure  gender  and regional balance in athlete selection and funding under the scheme?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS { DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA }

(a) State-wise details of total number of athletes supported under the Khelo India Scheme since its inception is provided at Annexure -I. The details of the  sports  infrastructure  projects  approved  and their  sanctioned  cost  and funds released under Khelo India Scheme, across the country, including in the State of Tamil Nadu, are available in public domain on the dashboard of the Ministry at https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in.

- (b)  The  Khelo  India  Scheme  is  a  demand-driven  scheme.  The  proposals received  from  the  State/UT  Governments  and  other  eligible  entities  are considered  for  financial  support,  subject  to  their  completeness,  technical feasibility and availability of funds under the Scheme.
- (c)  The  details  such  as  Khelo  India  Centres,  Sports  Academies,  identified Khelo  India  Athletes,  participation  and  medal-tally  of  various  Khelo  India Games under Khelo India Scheme are available at https://dashboard.kheloindia.gov.in. The details of the sports infrastructure projects approved and their sanctioned cost and funds released under Khelo India Scheme, across the country, including in the State of Tamil Nadu, are available in public domain on the dashboard of the Ministry at https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in.
- (d)  No  proposal  is  pending  for  athlete  support  under  Khelo  India  from  the State  of  Tamil  Nadu. However,  under  the  'Creation  and  upgradation  of sports infrastructure' component of the Khelo India Scheme, this Ministry has received 17 proposals for infrastructure development from the State of Tamil Nadu.

The proposals received from the State/UT Governments and other eligible entities are considered for financial support, subject to their completeness, technical feasibility and availability of funds under the Scheme.

- (e) To strengthen grassroots sports, the Khelo India Scheme has established over 1,000 Khelo India Centres at the district level to provide children  with  opportunities  to  train  under  the  guidance  of  past  champion athletes. These centres help prepare young athletes for state and national level competitions. Additionally, the scheme supports 34 Khelo India State Centres of Excellence across 33 states and union territories, which provide critical  resources  such  as  high-quality  coaching,  sports  science  support, and equipment, helping nurture talent from every region. Talent identification is an important component, with over 2,800 athletes selected across 21 sports, including para-sports, after rigorous national championships and assessment camps. These athletes train in accredited academies  supported  financially  with  an  annual  funding  of  over  six  lakh rupees per athlete. Moreover, Khelo India Games have been conducted 19 times, involving more than 56,000 athletes, offering a competitive platform especially  benefiting  athletes  from  rural  areas.  Special  emphasis  is  also given  to  promoting  women's  participation  through  Khelo  India  Women's Leagues  across  29  sports  disciplines,  organizing  over  1,300  competitions with  nearly  1,40,000  female  participants,  thus  significantly  increasing women's involvement in sports nationwide.

The  promotion  of  traditional  and  indigenous  sports  is  another  key  focus. Indigenous  games  such  as  Mallakhamb,  Kalaripayyattu,  Gatka,  Thang-Ta, and  Yogasana  have  been  included  as  competitive  categories  in  various Khelo India Youth and University Games. The Khelo India Centres support training in 42 sports disciplines, including these indigenous games, providing  livelihood  opportunities  for  past  champion  athletes  as  coaches. The Fit India Movement complements this by promoting indigenous games during  its  events  and  festivals.  The  scheme  also  supports  the  revival  of rural,  indigenous,  and  tribal  games  as  a  means  of  preserving  cultural heritage  and  encouraging  inclusiveness.  Furthermore,  women's  leagues also include indigenous and traditional sports, promoting broader participation.

Regarding gender and regional balance in athlete selection and funding, a well-structured Talent Identification and Development Committee oversees the process, comprising eminent athletes, coaches, sports scientists, and representatives from national sports federations. This committee compiles scouting lists from competitions and conducts assessment camps to select athletes  based  on  merit  while  ensuring  regional  representation.  Once selected, athletes receive induction into accredited academies and benefit from  the  Khelo  India  program's  comprehensive  support,  which  includes scholarships, specialized coaching, exposure to international competitions, and access to world-class facilities. Each Khelo India Athlete (KIA) receives funding  of  up  to  ₹6.28  lakh  per  annum.  This  support  includes  specialised training, access  to  world-class  facilities,  participation  in  international competitions, and a monthly out-ofpocket allowance of ₹10,000.

ANNEXURE -I

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2443  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  04.08.2025 REGARDING ' ATHLETES PARTICIPATED IN KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES ' ASKED BY SHRI MALAIYARASAN D, HON'BLE MEMBER OF LOK SABHA.

| S.No.   | 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 5       |         70 | 57 7       | 66 6       |         47 |         53 |
| 27      | Puducherry                       |              8 | 159        |          7 |            |            |         13 |          6 |
| 28      | Punjab                           |            144 |            |        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 |

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