Indian Sports Schemes and Initiatives Supporting Boxers

India’s boxing ecosystem is supported by a structured mix of elite athlete funding, national training hubs, and grassroots talent schemes. These measures are designed to improve identification of promising boxers, strengthen training support, and build a pathway from junior level to international podium finishes.

Classification and Institutional Framework

• High-Priority sport: Boxing is classified by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as a High-Priority Olympic combat sport, which helps channel focused funding, support, and infrastructure access.
• National Centre of Excellence: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) runs the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) at Rohtak, Haryana, as the country’s premier boxing training hub.
• Training support: The NCOE provides elite boxers with modern infrastructure, sports science support, and specialized coaching facilities.
• National federation: The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is the National Sports Federation (NSF) for boxing in India.
• Minister in charge: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya is the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)

• Flagship elite programme: TOPS is India’s main support scheme for athletes with Olympic medal potential, including boxers.
• Core and Development groups: Boxers are placed either in the Core Group, for immediate medal prospects, or in the Development Group, for future cycles such as Los Angeles 2028.
• Core Group benefits: Athletes receive customized training, foreign exposure, advanced equipment, and specialist support staff.
• Out-of-pocket support: Boxers in the TOPS Core Group receive a monthly out-of-pocket training stipend of ₹50,000 to meet personal athletic needs.
• Mission Olympic Cell role: The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) reviews athlete performances and recommends additions or upgrades within TOPS.
• April 2026 changes: At the 172nd MOC meeting in April 2026, Preeti Pawar (54kg), Priya (60kg), Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg), and Sachin (60kg) were moved to the TOPS Core Group after their medal performances at the 2026 Asian Boxing Elite Championships in Mongolia.
• Development Group additions: Aditya (65kg), Deepak (70kg), and Harsh (90kg) were added to the TOPS Development Group, while Narender (+90kg) was placed in the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG).
• Jaismine Lamboria: In March 2026, world champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) was promoted from the TOPS Development Group to the Core Group.

Revamped Khelo India Scheme

• Cabinet approval: In July 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India Scheme for 2026–27 to 2030–31.
• Financial outlay: The scheme has an allocation of ₹29,054 crore within the combined outlay for Khelo India and the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) scheme.
• Combined funding: The total outlay for both schemes is ₹36,441 crore for the five-year period.
• New components: The revamped scheme includes nine components and introduces new talent-identification measures.
• School integration: New initiatives such as Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas aim to integrate sports with mainstream education.
• Grassroots support: These measures help identify young boxers early and create a pathway for sustained training and competition.
• Talent assistance: Under Khelo India Talent Identification, selected junior and youth boxers receive financial assistance of ₹5 lakh per annum for up to eight years to cover training and equipment.

Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs)

• Scheme funding: The ANSF scheme has an allocation of ₹7,387 crore in the 2026–27 to 2030–31 period.
• National championships: In 2025, the maximum financial grant for National Championships in High-Priority sports, including boxing, was increased from ₹51 lakh to ₹90 lakh.
• Training and exposure: ANSF funds are used for training, competition exposure, and broader support for national teams.
• Foreign coaching: The scheme also supports the appointment of foreign coaches and the procurement of equipment.
• International participation: It covers travel costs and entry fees for Indian boxing contingents taking part in international ranking tournaments and training camps abroad.
• Domestic structure: The enhanced funding is intended to standardize federation operations and widen the reach of camps for junior and senior boxers.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• High-Priority status: Boxing is treated as a High-Priority Olympic combat sport in India.
• Primary training hub: SAI’s NCOE at Rohtak is the main national boxing centre of excellence.
• TOPS Core support: Core Group boxers get a monthly out-of-pocket stipend of ₹50,000.
• TOPS structure: The scheme is split into Core Group and Development Group for present and future medal prospects.
• Khelo India funding: Selected junior and youth boxers can receive ₹5 lakh per annum for up to eight years.
• ANSF grant limit: The maximum grant for National Championships in High-Priority sports was raised to ₹90 lakh in 2025.
• Combined outlay: The total budget for revamped Khelo India and ANSF schemes is ₹36,441 crore for 2026–27 to 2030–31.