List of Indian Sports Schemes and Talent Development Programmes

India maintains a multi-layered institutional mechanism to identify sporting talent, expand infrastructure, and train high-performance athletes for global podiums. Administered primarily by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) alongside the Sports Authority of India (SAI), these programmes span grassroots identification, regional sports centers, financial grants, and elite Olympic preparation.

Flagship National Initiatives

Khelo India Scheme

• Launched in 2017–18 by merging three earlier schemes: Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), and Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS).
• Operates as a central sector scheme providing annual financial assistance of ₹5 lakh per athlete per year for eight years to selected talents.
• Features annual multi-sport national events including Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), Khelo India University Games (KIUG), Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG), and Khelo India Para Games (KIPG).
• Establishes grassroots Khelo India Centres (KICs) across districts, appointing former champion athletes as mentors and coaches.
• Operates the Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) to upgrade existing state-owned sports facilities into world-class training hubs.

Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI)

• Launched in March 2024 to create a nationwide, IT-enabled talent scouting platform for school children aged 9 to 18 years.
• Utilizes data analytics, physical fitness assessments, and digital registration via the MyBharat portal to scout talent across rural and urban blocks.
• Conducts talent evaluation across disciplines including athletics, boxing, wrestling, hockey, archery, and football.
• Screens young aspirants across 50 plus evaluation centers to build a talent pipeline.

Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)

• Formulated in September 2014 under the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) and revamped in 2018.
• Provides customized financial, technical, and coaching support to elite athletes with potential for Olympic and Paralympic medals.
• Categorizes beneficiaries into Core Group (immediate medal contenders) and Development Group (future Olympic cycle prospects).
• Offers a monthly Out-of-Pocket Allowance (OPA) of ₹50,000 for Core Group athletes and ₹25,000 for Development Group athletes.
• Managed operationally by the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), chaired by the Director General of the Sports Authority of India.

Specialized Sports Authority of India (SAI) Talent Schemes

National Centres of Excellence (NCOE)

• Operates 23 specialized facilities across India to provide elite national-level athletes with high-performance coaching.
• Supplies advanced sports science support, specialized equipment, nutritional diets, and fully funded residential facilities.

SAI Training Centres (STC)

• Focuses on identifying and nurturing sporting talent in the age group of 10 to 18 years.
• Provides dual operational models: residential and non-residential training for young athletes preparing for national competitions.

Special Area Games (SAG)

• Targets natural physical capabilities and sporting talent in remote, tribal, coastal, and hilly regions of the country.
• Focuses on specific geographic pockets with traditional skills in sports like archery, canoeing, rowing, and long-distance running.

Army Boys Sports Companies (ABSC)

• Run as a joint venture between the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Army.
• Selects promising young boys in the age group of 8 to 14 years to receive formal education alongside sports training inside Army establishments.

Sports Infrastructure and Financial Support Frameworks

Support Infrastructure and Welfare Initiatives

National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)

• Established in November 1998 under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890, to mobilize private and public contributions for sports promotion.
• Receives matching grants from the Central Government to match corporate social responsibility contributions.
• Funds specialized athlete training, construction of elite sports academies, and equipment procurement.

Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs)

• Provides financial grants to recognized NSFs for holding national championships and conducting the Annual Calendar for Training and Competitions (ACTC).
• Pays salaries of foreign coaches and technical support staff, purchases specialized equipment, and funds exposure trips abroad.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons (PDUNWFS)

• Provides financial relief to outstanding sportspersons living in indigent circumstances.
• Offers medical assistance, disability support, and emergency funds to active or retired athletes and their families.

Fit India Movement

• Launched on August 29, 2019 (National Sports Day), to encourage physical fitness and active living across schools, workplaces, and communities.
• Promotes initiatives like Fit India Freedom Run, Fit India School Week, and active lifestyle certifications for educational institutions.

Key Facts and Technical Data

• Sports Authority of India (SAI) was established in 1984 following the IX Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982.
• Society for National Institutes of Physical Education & Sports (SNIPES) merged into SAI in 1987, bringing Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) Patiala under SAI management.
• Khelo India Scheme consolidated three prior initiatives: Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), and Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS).
• Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) was created in September 2014 under the umbrella of the National Sports Development Fund.
• Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meets regularly to evaluate athlete proposals under TOPS and approve foreign training logistics.
• KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification) uses digital registration on the MyBharat portal to stream scouted data into a central database.
• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) accepts tax-exempt donations from public sector undertakings, private entities, and individuals to match government funds.