AIR spotlight summary on “Development of Sports in the Country”.
Introduction
- Khelo India School Games was held recently which is going to have a pan India impact. The school children will get the exposure required. It is going to have a lasting impact especially with the scholarship being introduced which is a remarkable initiative by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The children will receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 5.00 lakh for 8 consecutive years. Since parents complain about lack of financial support, the initiative is a step in the right direction. This will make education and sports find a right balance.
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launched the PLEDGE for Khelo Indiaat the Khelo India School Games Carnival. The pledge is a promise to participate and encourage sportsmanship spirit and it is aimed at inspiring youngsters to build mass participation and excellence in sports.
Salient Features
- Focussed on building an inclusive and comprehensive sports ecosystem in the country, Khelo India will lay emphasis on inculcating sports into the day to day lives of youngsters early in their lives.
- Khelo India School Games concentrates on creating a platform to showcase hidden talent, creating awareness and cognizance about physical fitness as well as good health amongst youngsters.
- 2000 children will be receiving Rs 2000 as prize money if they win in the competitions at the block, district and national levels. This can give a big boost to the children at pan India level.
- The Khelo India is not limited to only children; it goes beyond 35 to 50 years age group. It looks changing the lifestyle of people both in rural and urban India.
- The coaches have stagnated in terms of upgrading their knowledge and attention is given for upgrading coach’s knowledge and development. The focus is moved away from constructing large stadiums into developing neighbourhood playing areas. If people of India start playing an hour a day we not only become a better sporting nation, we will also be a healthier nation.
- There is an attempt to make India’s coaches better. Coaches at the grass root level who discovers young talent will also be rewarded. The cash incentives the government gives to successful coaches will be now split into 3 parts. 25% of the money will go to coaches at the grass root level, 25% to developmental level coaches and 50% to those coaches who have taken the athlete to international level. This motivates coaches to move from one step to another.
Impact
- The power of sport in promoting gender equity and social inclusiveness is also fully recognized and special measures are provided for to achieve these objectives.
- The programme also aims at engaging youth living in disturbed and deprived areas, in sporting activities, to wean them away from unproductive and disruptive activities and mainstream them in the nation-building process.
- We are also going to see some unsung heroes who were waiting for a platform to showcase their talent and get known across the country. The kind of training and exposure they get can have a massive impact on the school children.
- All these years post independence there was an argument that we don’t have enough drinking water facility in the country and how can we create sports infrastructure. Now we are getting out of this phase and being positive. Sports builds character, teaches positivity, team spirit and changes mindset of the people.
- The school games federation of India, the national sports federation and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have come together on one platform to make the Khelo India a success. This is step in the right direction for seeing positive results over a period of time.
- This programme strives to promote “Sports for All” as well as “Sports for Excellence.”
