Sakina Saleem (in red) of Lovely Professional University, Punjab, and Tamanna (in Blue) of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra during the women’s boxing event at the Khelo India University Games 2023 in Guwahati.
| Photo Credit: ANI
We recently concluded the Khelo India Games with resounding success. While the magnitude of the mission has grown exponentially, the government has been adding new facets to the Khelo India campaign in terms of both technical and demographic diversity. Change is constant and if results are any yardstick, we are on the right track.
The Khelo India mission has been the cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a nation oozing with energy. India is a young country: 65% of the population is below 35 years. Sports is arguably the ideal glue to bring everyone together.
Sports now provides a serious career option to our youth. We understand that every athlete has a career span. While achieving excellence is their primary goal, we as the government must reciprocate. Khelo India medal winners, who can potentially go on to win laurels for the country, deserve a tension-free existence. In a recent notification, the government has decided to provide jobs to those who meet the necessary criteria.
A few firsts
In this cycle of the Khelo India Games, we had a few firsts. Primarily aimed at spreading the good word on sports and boosting capacity-building in all the States to stage sporting events of importance, the Youth Games were held in the south for the first time. Tamil Nadu’s multi-city approach was a success with fans having free and easy access to venues. Similarly, for the first time, the University Games were staged across seven north-eastern States, with Assam hosting 16 different sports. The Northeast has given India some of its top boxers and hockey and football players. It was in the fitness of things that Mizoram hosted men’s football and Sikkim, boxing. The government is not only promoting Olympic disciplines, but also giving adequate attention to indigenous sports like Yogasana, Gatka, Mallakhamba, Silambam and Kalaripayattu. The participation in these sports has been overwhelming.
It’s been the government’s endeavour to offer every State the opportunity to stage a major sports event. Enabling Ladakh to stage a portion of the Khelo India Winter Games for the first time in February is a case in point. It was heartening to see Ladakh excel in ice hockey and ice skating, alongside the Army and the Indo Tibetan Border Police teams. The confidence in hosting a national event of importance will only make the States and UTs.
The Khelo India mission has been a solid learning process. At the heart of this mission are the athletes, coaches, and other support staff. Athletes selected to represent India in international competitions must only focus on their goals and nothing else.
It is incumbent upon us to provide the right environment and ecosystem to make the athletes shine. Sports administration is all about setting transparent and stringent processes and executing them with some flexibility. It is important to produce a system which promotes ease of living and does not give anxiety to athletes. The government continues to yearn for that perfect system.
Sports always works on a cause-and-effect basis. The consistent international success of sportspersons in the Khelo India ecosystem is a testament to the government’s success in sticking to the right causes. For example, the creation and upgradation of sports infrastructure was a priority. More than 300 sports infrastructure projects have been approved in 34 States/UT at a cost of more than ₹3,000 crore.
Identifying talent and nurturing them is a challenging task and one that drives the Khelo India movement. For the selection of genuine talent, the government has a two-tier structure consisting of a Scouting Committee and a Developmental Panel for training. At present, close to 2,800 athletes in 21 sports disciplines (including para sports) have been chosen as Khelo India athletes after being selected from various national championships, open selection trials, assessment camps, and from the Khelo India Games.
Glorious moments
The Khelo India mission has contributed significantly to India’s glorious moments in international events including the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. Since 2018, both the participation of Khelo India athletes and their returns from global events have shown an upward trajectory. In 2022, 495 Khelo India athletes won 312 medals, with close to 63% of athletes returning with a medal. In 2018, 92 athletes won 82 medals.
Several sportspersons have taken up coaching as a career. Our system boasts of top coaches who keep producing results. In December 2022, many of them were promoted to high-performance coaches in the Sports Authority of India training centres and the National Centres of Excellence.
In keeping with the Olympic charter, we have given equal impetus to women. The ratio of men versus women athletes in the four Khelo India Games this season was almost 50:50. The Asmita Khelo India Women’s League features 17 disciplines. It has been a great success. More than 63,000 women athletes have participated in more than 520 competitions in 21 sports disciplines. We aim to support the National Sports Federations and the State governments to conduct Khelo India Women’s League tournaments for many age groups.
Development is always a work in progress. In about seven years, the government has been able to spread the Khelo India footprint. It’s in the heart and soul of every Indian who wants to dream big in sports. And we have only begun.
Anurag Singh Thakur is Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Information and Broadcasting, Government of India