Khelo India Scheme has Identified 2781 athletes

Nearly 2,781 Khelo India Athletes have been identified under the Khelo India Scheme. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said that these athletes receive support through coaching, equipment, medical care, and a monthly Out of Pocket Allowance (OPA) under the scheme. He emphasised that Khelo India Athletes training at various National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) under the Sports Authority of India and other accredited academies are continuously strengthening the Nation’s sports talent pool. He underlined that Khelo India Scheme identifies and nurtures talent through its Khelo India Talent Development program, supporting athletes across 21 sports including para-athletics, based on specific guidelines and benchmarks. 
Mandaviya mentioned that at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, 124 out of 644 Indian athletes were Khelo India Athletes, and they contributed significantly by winning 42 out of India’s 106 medals, including 9 Gold medals. For the Paris 2024 Olympics, 28 Khelo India Athletes were part of the Indian contingent of 117 athletes. Mandaviya highlighted that the ‘Promotion of Rural and Indigenous/Tribal Games‘ is a sub-component of the Khelo India Scheme and is dedicated to advancing rural and indigenous games across the country. “Indigenous/traditional games of Mallakhamb, Kalaripayattu, Gatka, Thang-Ta, Yogasana and Silambam have been identified for promotion under this component, and these games are part of annually organised Khelo India University/Youth Games,“ he said. “Grants are sanctioned for infrastructure development, equipment support, appointment of coaches, training of coaches and scholarships to the identified athletes under this Component.”