Lok Sabha Question No. 16 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-21
Subject: Revival of Football Game
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: C.S. PUTTARAJU, M. B. RAJESH

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS**

**(DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)**

**LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO.*16**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.7.2015**

Revival of Football Game

*16. 	SHRI C.S. PUTTA RAJU:

SHRI M.B. RAJESH:

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

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the dismal condition of football game in the country so much so that the Indian football team recently failed in the qualifying round for the next World Cup Football Tournament;

(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government proposes to prepare any long term plan to attract young talents in football and develop a vast network of infrastructure including quality training to the players and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government also proposes to consider appointing a Committee of experts to study and prepare a long term action plan for the revival of football in the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to improve the performance of Indian football team in national and international football sports competition?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR**

**YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS**

( **SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL** )

(a) to (e):		A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

******

**STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 16 FOR REPLY ON 21.7.15 BY SHRI** C.S. PUTTA RAJU,  SHRI M.B. RAJESH **REGARDING REVIVAL OF FOOTBALL GAME**

1. Yes, Madam.
2. The performance of the Indian football team has declined due to various reasons such as lack of development of football especially at the grass roots level, lack of sponsorship, lack of sufficient career opportunity in sports etc. Government has been making persistent efforts to promote football in the Country in association with other stakeholders.

(c) to (e)	To attract young talents, football has been included as an important event in the school games and played in the categories of under-14, under-17 & under-19 for boys and girls.  Also, football is included in the University games, conducted by the Association of Indian Universities. Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society (SMSES) holds separate national & international football tournaments at the school level. **All India Football Federation (AIFF)** also organises a number of tournaments for senior and junior players across the country.  Further, AIFF in conjunction with FIFA, has started a nation-wide Grassroots program aimed at boys and girls aged between 6 – 12 years of age. Currently the program is in operation in the States of Maharashtra, Manipur, Goa, Kerala, West Bengal and in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The aim of the program is to get more boys and girls playing football and having fun in a safe, non-competitive environment.  During the last three years, i.e., 2012-15, an amount of Rs.2346.02 lakh was spent from the Central Government budget for the sport of football.

With a view to generating interest among the children for football, **Government of India considered the proposal of AIFF and furnished the Declaration and Guarantees of the Government, sought by AIFF for their bid to host Under-17 FIFA World Cup in India in 2017.**

The primary responsibility for promotion and development of a sport discipline including football rests with the concerned National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the State Governments, as ‘Sports’ is a state subject.   Government of India supplements the efforts of the NSFs by providing financial assistance for various activities such as holding coaching camps for national level sportspersons, holding zonal and national  championships for sub-junior, junior and senior categories, organizing International tournaments in India, training and participation of sportspersons/teams in international tournaments abroad, procurement of sports science equipment and consumables, engagement of foreign coaches/experts to train the athletes, etc. as per agreed Long Term Development Plans. Hence, Government does not propose to appoint any Committee in the matter.

Although Sports is a State subject, Government of India and Sports Authority of India regularly invest in creation of infrastructure for various sports disciplines including Football.  Football stadia of international standard are available in cities like Kochi, Mumbai, Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi and in Goa.

In addition, AIFF has set up 5 National Academies located one each at Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and two in Goa to impart training to the children born in or after 1997. The players in these Academies come from all over India, selected from the various competitions including the National Championships conducted by AIFF. These AIFF Academies are full-time residential academies where the players undergo training under the supervision of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) accredited coaches.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been extending support for improving the level of sports including Football through its various other Schemes like Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) and Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS).  Under RGKA, financial assistance of Rs. 1.75 crore is available for construction of a sports complex in each rural block of the country to cater to various sports disciplines including Football.

The Scheme of USIS provides for giving grants, inter-alia, for creation of sports infrastructure projects such as football/hockey turf/multi- purpose halls/ athletic tracks, etc.  Under the scheme, State Governments, local civic bodies, Schools, Colleges, Universities and Sports Control Boards are eligible for assistance.

Apart from this, the Sports Authority of India is running the following promotional schemes in which football is one of the disciplines:

(i)	National Sports Talent Scheme (NSTC)

(ii)	Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC)

**(iii)	SAI Training Centre (STC)**

**(iv)	Special Area Games (SAG)**

**(v)	Centre of Excellence (COE)**

Under these schemes, scientific training is imparted to the selected  trainees under expert coaches.  The trainees are provided assistance for boarding, lodging, equipment, sports kit, stipend, competition exposure, etc.

******