NEW DELHI: Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore revealed during a Rajya Sabha meet on Monday that the Indian government had increased its funding to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) during the financial year of 2016-17.
Rathore said that while the SAI received Rs 3.46 billion during the FY 2015-16, it shot up to Rs 3.67 billion in 2016-17. Until 26 December 2018, a rise of 26% was seen as the amount reached Rs. 4.96 billion. During the same period, a total of Rs. 282 million was disbursed from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) for the SAI’s TOPS scheme.
However, it has come at the cost of the government’s financial assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs) witnessing a sharp dip over the last three calendar years. In the 2017-18 calendar year, it has been reduced to Rs 2.4 billion as against Rs 3.6 billion 2016-17 and Rs 3.5 billion in 2015-16.
The minister also mentioned state-wise details of 1518 children identified for providing financial assistance under the ambitious Khelo India’s “Talent Identification and Development” scheme.
So far, 774 male and female children from 33 states were provided financial assistance with Haryana having the maximum representation of 240 athletes (130 male and 110 female). It is followed by Maharashtra (168 comprising 69 male and 99 female) and Delhi with 138 (81 male and 57 female).
