Lok Sabha Question No. 1377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-28
Subject: Development of Traditional Games
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: ANOOP MISHRA, PRATHAP SIMHA

GOVERNMENT OF

MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

(DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1377

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2015

Development of Traditional Games

1377. SHRI ANOOP MISHRA:

SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

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

(a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to promote traditional/conventional indigenous games like archery, wrestling, kabaddi, kho-kho etc. in the country including in tribal and rural areas;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the funds allocated/released/spent on the said games during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT and scheme/sports discipline-wise;

(c) whether the Government proposes to formulate any policy for providing international level sports facilities to the sports persons of the country including weaker section relating to the said games;

(d) if so, the details thereof, State/UT and sports discipline-wise; and

(e) the schemes implemented to identify and nurture the talented sports persons and the other steps proposed to be taken by the Government to develop and promote traditional/conventional sports in the country?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a) & (b): Primary responsibility for promotion and development of sports disciplines including traditional/conventional indigenous  games like archery, wrestling, kabaddi, kho-kho etc. and sports is that of the concerned National Sports Federations.

The existing schemes of the Government of India and Sports Authority of India (SAI) lay adequate focus on the promotion of traditional and indigenous games. Under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs), the sports federations dealing with indigenous/traditional games including archery, wrestling, Kho-Kho and Kabaddi have been given Government recognition, and are provided with financial assistance for promotional and developmental activities.

Under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs, assistance is provided to the NSFs, inter-alia, for conduct of national championships in Senior, Junior and Sub-junior categories both for men and women, conduct of international tournaments in , participation of Indian sportspersons and teams in international tournaments abroad, organizing coaching camps, etc.   NSFs are responsible for promotion of their respective sports disciplines in the entire country and not in a specific state of the country.

The details of funds allocated/spent during the last three years and the current year, under the Scheme to NSFs of main traditional / indigenous games are given below: -

(Rs. in lakh)

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Game   |   **2012-13** |   **2013-14** |   **2014-15** | **2015-16**   |
|-----------|--------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
|        1. | Archery            |        143.27 |       1000.57 |        448.59 | --            |
|        2. | Chess              |        253.94 |        232.08 |        107.95 | --            |
|        3. | Atya Patya         |         13.50 |         14.00 |          1.25 | --            |
|        4. | Kho-Kho            |         16.50 |          3.00 |          7.75 | --            |
|        5. | Hockey             |        565.20 |       1268.19 |        520.33 | --            |
|        6. | Kabaddi            |         11.44 |         74.00 |         18.00 | --            |
|        7. | Tug of War         |          9.25 |         10.75 |          3.00 | --            |
|        8. | Wrestling          |        692.04 |       1429.12 |        532.31 | --            |

(c) & (d): Sports facilities of adequate standards are already being made available to sportspersons, including those from weaker sections, of traditional/indigenous games mentioned above, at centres of Sports Authority of India, which are located across the country. Coaching camps are organized for sportspersons prior to their participation in international sports events abroad.

(e)	      For identifying the talented sportspersons including those from above-mentioned traditional and indigenous games and nurturing and training the identified talent in the age group of 8 to 25 years, the Sports Authority of India is running the following schemes:

**(i) National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC)** : The main objective of the scheme is to identify gifted and talented sportspersons among school children in the age group of 8-14 years.

**(ii) Army Boys Sports Companies (ABSC)** : is implemented in collaboration with the Army. Children in the age group of 8-16 years are imparted scientific training to achieve excellence at national and international levels. The scheme also provides job opportunities in the Indian Army.

**(iii) Special Area Games (SAG)** : This Scheme follows an area-specific approach to scout and nurture talent for modern competitive games and sports from tribal, rural, coastal and hilly areas of the country.  The main objective of the scheme is to train talented and meritorious sportspersons in the age group of 12-18 years.

**(iv) SAI Training Centres (STC)** : Under this scheme, talented youth in the age group of 14-21 years are given the option to join the scheme on residential or non-residential basis.

**(v) Centres of Excellence (COE)** : The main objective of this scheme is to identify and train outstanding sportspersons in the age group of 12 to 25 years who are medal prospects for the country in international competitions.

Trainees under the above-mentioned schemes are provided with stipend, sports kit, accidental insurance as well as competition exposure.

Further, the Ministry has recently formulated a new scheme namely National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) for talent identification in the age group of 8-12 years and nurturing of identified talented sportspersons.

The scheme document and guidelines have been issued to all State Governments and Union Territories on 20.02.2015.

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