NEW DELHI: The government’s ambitious Khelo India programme is not just about building athletes’ “bench strength”, but is also focused on improving coaching methodologies, Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has stressed.
Rathore made his comments during the launch of the official anthem and mascot of Khelo India School Games, which kick off January 31.
“Now when an athlete wins a medal at Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics, the coach gets incentive. We will be changing that. Now 20 per cent of the total money will also go to the coaches who worked on them at the grass-root level and 30 per cent will be given to the developmental coaches,” PTI quotes Rathore as having said.
“It is not a question of money but it is a matter of recognition. The execution will be a slow process. We will create a database of the coaches of the athletes who are associated with Khelo India. So when one of these athletes goes on to win a medal in international event, the coaches can also be recognised.”
The Sports Ministry has already decided to select 1,000 athletes every year under the Khelo India School Games for a scholarship of Rs 500,000 each for eight successive years.
“In five years, we will have 5,000 athletes getting scholarship and it will help to bridge the gap between potential to podium,” he added.
The Khelo India School Games will have 16 sports disciplines, including athletics, badminton, boxing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kho kho, shooting, swimming, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.
Rathore, who had clinched a Silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics in shooting, said the scheme will also focus on the coaches.
“We’ll get into tie ups with international institutes to upgrade the knowledge of the coaches. We will create a bank of coaches, where people who consider themselves to be coaches can register and upgrade their knowledge. We will have 2-3 week classes for the coaches and they will also get a certificate for a central agency.”
Rathore also said Khelo India Games will focus on women-oriented sports and try to run a campaign to encourage women to come out of their homes and play sports.
“I think 2018 will be the year of sports and our focus will also be on women-oriented sports. If women starts playing sports then there will be a generational shift and I think we should take it up as a campaign.”
He also spoke about mapping the sports infrastructure of the country and providing e-coaches to upcoming athletes across the country.
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