Elite Sports Schemes in India
India’s elite sports framework combines targeted athlete support, grassroots-to-elite talent pipelines, and a statutory governance structure for sports bodies. The aim is to improve international performance while ensuring clearer regulation, funding, and dispute resolution.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and TEAMS
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for supporting elite athletes. It focuses on podium-oriented assistance through training, exposure, equipment, and sports science support.
- TOPS Division: Acts as the single nodal point for 27 Olympic sports disciplines and handles training coordination, development proposals, budgeting, and governance-related issues.
- TEAMS Division: The Training of Elite Athletes and Management Support division provides administrative and training support for non-Olympic, Para, and Winter sports.
- Mission Olympic Cell (MOC): Serves as the apex adjudicatory body for evaluating athlete-specific proposals and funding clearances under TOPS.
- Leadership: Col. N.S. Johal is the CEO of TOPS under the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
- Core Group support: Athletes receive customised foreign training, international exposure, specialised equipment, sports science support, and a monthly out-of-pocket allowance of ₹50,000.
Revamped Khelo India Scheme
The Khelo India Scheme is designed to promote mass participation in sports while also building pathways for excellence. Its revamped version expands structured talent identification and institutional support from school level to advanced training centres.
- Financial outlay: The combined allocation for the revamped Khelo India Scheme and Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) is ₹36,441 crore for 2026–27 to 2030–31.
- New athlete category: The scheme introduces Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) alongside existing Khelo India Athletes (KIAs) to widen talent nurturing.
- School-level integration: Two new initiatives, Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV), are meant to identify talent at an early stage.
- Infrastructure push: 349 new sports infrastructure projects have been approved with an investment of ₹3,176 crore.
- Institutional network: The scheme has established 1,067 Khelo India Centres (KICs).
- Current athlete support: It supports 2,745 active Khelo India Athletes (KIAs).
Statutory Framework and Sports Governance
India’s sports governance has moved from executive instructions to a statutory framework. The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 provides the legal base for recognising sports bodies, resolving disputes, and improving transparency.
- National Sports Governance Act, 2025: Received Presidential assent on August 18, 2025, and replaced the earlier Sports Code.
- Operational rules: The National Sports Governance (National Sports Board) Rules, 2026 and the National Sports Governance (National Sports Tribunal) Rules, 2026 were notified in May 2026.
- National Sports Board (NSB): Functions as the central regulatory authority responsible for recognising National Sports Bodies.
- National Sports Tribunal (NST): An independent, digital-enabled adjudicatory body for sports-related disputes.
- National Sports Bodies Rules, 2026: Notified in January 2026, they require at least four retired Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs) in the General Bodies of National Sports Bodies.
- Women representation: Fifty per cent of the SOMs in these bodies must be women.
- National Sports Policy 2025: Also called Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, it was approved in July 2025 and focuses on building a sports ecosystem aimed at the 2036 Olympic Games.
Administrative Structure of Sports Governance
The sports administration framework is divided into executive, regulatory, and adjudicatory functions to reduce conflict of interest and improve accountability.
| Body / Institution | Primary Responsibility | Apex Head / Leadership |
| Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Policy formulation and regulatory oversight | Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya (Union Minister); Raksha Nikhil Khadse (MoS) |
| Sports Authority of India (SAI) | Execution of national schemes and facility management | Hari Ranjan Rao (Sports Secretary & ex-officio DG SAI) |
| Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) | Approval and funding clearances under TOPS | Chaired by the Sports Secretary / DG SAI |
| National Sports Board (NSB) | Central regulatory authority for recognising sports bodies | Statutory Board under the 2025 Act |
| National Sports Tribunal (NST) | Dispute resolution and adjudication | Independent digital-enabled body |
Key Prelims Takeaways
- TOPS: A flagship elite athlete support programme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
- TEAMS: Manages support for non-Olympic, Para, and Winter sports.
- Core Group support: Includes foreign exposure, specialised equipment, sports science help, and a ₹50,000 monthly allowance.
- Khelo India funding: The revamped scheme and ANSFs together have a ₹36,441 crore outlay for 2026–27 to 2030–31.
- Talent pipeline: The new E-KIAs category expands the athlete support structure beyond KIAs.
- Governance law: The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 replaced the Sports Code and created a statutory framework.
- Representation rule: National Sports Bodies must include at least four retired SOMs, with 50% women SOMs.
| Related | |
|---|---|
