Key Details
The Cabinet has approved a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the revamped Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations for 2026–27 to 2030–31, although the release does not disaggregate the allocation between the two schemes.
Component | Approved provision |
|---|---|
Financial commitment | ₹36,441 crore combined outlay for the revamped Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations |
Athlete pathway | Progression from grassroots competitions and Khelo India programmes to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) |
School-level development | Introduction of Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas |
Athlete coverage | Creation of an Emerging Khelo India Athletes category, intended to expand the structured athlete pool nearly ten-fold |
Training network | Integration of National Centres of Excellence, Khelo India Centres of Excellence, SAI Training Centres, accredited academies, Khelo India Centres and Armed Forces’ Youth Sports Companies |
Talent identification | National network of talent committees, zonal committees, scouts, High Performance Directors and High Performance Managers |
Competition system | Support for school, university, regional and sport-specific leagues, national championships and major events |
Coaching standards | Establishment of a National Coach Accreditation Board |
Digital governance | Unified platform covering athlete records, infrastructure, competitions, coaching, assessments, funding and Fit India participation |
Inclusion | Dedicated attention to women, para-athletes, indigenous sports and underserved border and remote regions |
Federation support | Funding for coaching, equipment, sports science, camps, foreign experts, international exposure and major competitions |
A Pathway From Schools to the Olympic Podium
The central reform is a connected athlete-development pathway spanning school-level identification, professional training, regular competition and Olympic preparation. Athletes would progress from grassroots programmes through Khelo India and, at the highest level, to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
The new Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas bring schools into this formal talent system, potentially widening access beyond children already connected to established academies.
A Much Larger Athlete Pool
The new Emerging Khelo India Athletes category is intended to expand the structured athlete pool nearly ten-fold, bringing thousands more young sportspersons under professional coaching, sports-science support and long-term mentoring.
This expansion will test implementation capacity. Identifying more athletes must be matched by sufficient coaches, competitions, training facilities and performance-support personnel if early promise is to translate into sustained development.
Coaching and Data Become Governance Priorities
The proposed National Coach Accreditation Board seeks to standardise coaching qualifications, while a unified digital sports platform will connect athlete records, infrastructure, competitions, assessments and funding.
Together, these measures could improve continuity and accountability across the sports system. Their effectiveness will depend on credible accreditation, institutional adoption, reliable data and safeguards for athletes’ personal information.
Balancing Participation with Elite Performance
The scheme combines Olympic preparation with school sport, women’s participation, para-sport, indigenous games, fitness promotion and outreach in remote areas. Because these objectives require different delivery systems, clear indicators will be needed to ensure that mass participation and inclusion are not overshadowed by medal ambitions—and that elite development is measured by more than participation numbers
Policy Relevance
Centre–state coordination: Feeder schools, academies and training centres will require defined responsibilities across the Union government, states, schools, federations and the Sports Authority of India.
Athlete progression: Transparent criteria are needed for movement from the Emerging Khelo India Athletes category to Khelo India support and eventually TOPS, including mechanisms for review and appeal.
Coaching capacity: Expanding the athlete pool without a comparable increase in accredited coaches and sports-science personnel could weaken the quality of support available to each athlete.
Funding accountability: Separate financial allocations and performance indicators for Khelo India and National Sports Federations would make it easier to assess whether spending is strengthening grassroots participation, elite performance or both.
Safeguarding and data governance: School-based identification and unified athlete records require strong child-safeguarding standards, informed consent, privacy protections and controls on access to health and performance data.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: What institutional and funding arrangements are needed to ensure that athletes identified through schools and grassroots competitions can progress transparently through the Khelo India system to elite national and Olympic-level support?
Follow the Full Release Here: Cabinet approves revamped Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations