The Sports Ministry was allocated Rs 3,442.32 crore in the interim Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. This marked a hike of Rs 45.36 crore compared to the previous year. In the previous budget, the Sports Ministry had received a revised allocation of Rs 3,396.96 crore.
During the 2024-25 financial year, the country's main focus will be on the Olympic Games in Paris, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
The ministry's flagship programme, Khelo India, received an allocation of Rs 900 crore, reflecting an increase of Rs 20 crore from the previous budget.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI), responsible for organising national camps, providing infrastructure and equipment to athletes, and appointing coaches, among other duties, saw an increase of Rs 26.83 crore in its budgetary allocation from the previous year's revised expenditure of Rs 795.77 crore.
The National Sports Federations (NSFs) will see an increase of Rs 15 crore compared to the revised budget of Rs 325 crore for the fiscal year 2023-24.
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) also received a boost with the government allocating Rs 22.30 crore in the interim budget, up from Rs 21.73 crore in 2023-24.
The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), responsible for conducting dope sample testing, will receive Rs 22 crore, which is Rs 2.5 crore more than the previous budget.
The budget for the National Centre of Sports Science and Research has been reduced to Rs 8 crore from Rs 10 crore, while the National Sports University will receive an increased allocation of Rs 91.90 crore, up from Rs 83.21 crore in the 2023-24 budget.
The budget for providing incentives to sportspersons experienced a significant reduction from Rs 84 crore to Rs 39 crore.
Similarly, the allocation for the National Sports Development Fund was reduced from Rs 46 crore to Rs 18 crore. The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare for Sportspersons scheme received Rs 2 crore.
The budget for 'Enhancement of Sports Facility in Jammu and Kashmir' was also decreased to Rs 8 crore from the previous allocation of Rs 20 crore.
In the previous budget, Rs 15 crore was allocated for the Commonwealth Games, which was reduced to Rs 0.01 crore this time.
IOA chief PT Usha welcomes budget boost
Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha remarked that the increase in funds would support athletes in accessing specialised training programs.
"In this Olympic year, the positive aspect is the increased support for athlete training programmes. With enhanced funding, our athletes can access better coaching, sports science support, and other essential resources, ultimately improving their performance on the global stage," Usha told PTI.
"This is a positive step towards nurturing talent from the grassroots level and creating a robust sports ecosystem in the country. It will also help in talent identification at the grassroots level through Khelo India programmes." Emphasising the significance of increased support for athlete training programmes, Usha underlined the crucial role of financial backing of the athletes.
She said that financial support is essential for athletes to concentrate on their training without worrying about resources.
"I believe that with collaborative efforts between the government, sports organizations, and the public, we can achieve greater heights in the world of sports," she concluded.
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