Sports Ministry announces new incentive structure to fund 500 private academies

16 November 2020: There are many small academies in various parts of the country that are doing very good work in identifying and training athletes. The Union Government is also making a move to extend support to various sports institutions in a bid to support sporting talents and groom even in the most remote areas of the country.

In this direction, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has introduced a incentivisation structure to extend monetary support to 500 private academies, through the Khelo India Scheme over the next four years starting FY 2020-21. The 14 priority disciplines identified for excellence in 2028 Olympics will be eligible for receiving support in the first phase. There will be a special focus on developing sports science facilities at all the academies to improve the overall quality of training.

In this first ever model, private academies shall be graded into different categories based on quality achievement of players trained by the academy, level of coaches available at the academy, quality of Field of Play and allied infrastructure, availability of sports science facilities and staff.

Announcing the scheme, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju said “This move aims to encourage all academies, especially the private academies to continue improving the level of infrastructure, resources and sports science support so that athletes can get best in class training.”

Olympic medallist Gagan Narang, who also runs a private academy called Gun for Glory under the Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation, said, “The scheme will motivate them to ensure they keep creating world class infrastructure and ensure higher resources in the development of world class athletes.”

In the words of National Badminton Coach Pullela Gopichand “I think this is a big initiative for sports in the country and this will benefit all sections of sportspersons and the sports ecosystem immensely.”