Khelo India, the government's flagship Khelo India programme to scout and nurture athletes at the grassroots level, has once again turned out to be the biggest beneficiary as the sports budget has been raised by a massive Rs 351.98 crore. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2025-26 today.
The ambitious scheme has been allotted a massive Rs 1,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26. Notably, the amount is Rs 200 crore more than the grant of Rs 800 crore allocated in 2024-25. Overall, the Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports was designated Rs 3,794.30 crore, an overall jump of Rs 351.98 crore.
This increase is huge as there are no major events like the Olympics, Commonwealth or Asian Games scheduled this year. Apart from this, the government has also increased the assigned amount for assistance to National Sports Federations from Rs 340 crore to Rs 400 crore. For the unversed, India is currently pushing through with an ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games for which a letter of intent has been submitted to the International Olympic Committee.
Over the years, the government has invested heavily in the Khelo Inda program which has helped the country massively. The initiative has made sure the country unearths talents from all parts of the country in different sport resulting in medals at the top level events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games among many others.
Several athletes with potential have been backed over the years by the government by setting up the Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) across the country. Moreover, a lot of Khelo India athletes also participated in the Paris Olympics last year.
(PTI Inputs)