Page 45 - NIS English 16-30 April, 2026

Khelo India | FLAGSHIP

A New Support System for Nurturing Talent…
The Khelo India Mission

The field of sports offers a multitude of opportunities for employment, skill development, and career advancement. This is precisely why
the Central Government announced the launch of the Khelo India Mission in the budget for the financial year 2026-27. Under this
significant initiative, the focus lies on talent identification, development, creating infrastructure that serves as Centers of Excellence, and
generating employment opportunities. The Khelo India Mission aims to establish a comprehensive ecosystem designed to provide talented
athletes with every form of support they require—from their formative stages right up to reaching a professional level. The mission’s
objectives include establishing a Khelo India Training Centre in every district through state-level schemes; implementing systematic measures
encompassing sports science, sports psychology, and nutrition; creating data platforms for real-time monitoring; and positioning India
among the leading sporting nations of the world by 2036.
Emphasis on 14 Sports The Five Pillars of the Mission
disciplines with High Potential n Training centers at various levels will be

for International Medals established to identify talented athletes and guide
Under the Khelo India initiative, the Government them all the way to professional-level proficiency.
in collaboration with the states has placed a strong n Coaches and support staff will undergo
emphasis on the ‘One State, One Sport’ approach. development and capacity-building programs.
Additionally, to ensure superior performance in the n The application of sports science and cutting-
upcoming Olympic Games, 14 specific sports disciplines edge technology within the sports sector will be
have been selected based on their high potential for enhanced.
yielding medal victories. The Government has directed
the states to prioritize these 14 sports in any proposals n Competitions and leagues will be organized to
or programs formulated under the ‘Khelo India’ promote and provide a platform for sports culture.
initiative, with the aim of attracting the maximum n Sports infrastructure will be developed to facilitate
number of athletes to these disciplines and fostering the both training and competitive events.
development of excellence in their performance.

Archery, Boxing, Shooting, Badminton, Wrestling, Hockey, Weightlifting, Cycling,
Athletics, Table Tennis, Judo, Swimming, Fencing, Rowing.

international stages; with the national anthem played tion) have created a comprehensive support framework
can now be heard across numerous international com- for athletes at every stage of their journey. Identifying
petitions as Indian athletes stand tall on the podium . and grooming athletes at the school, university, and
The Khelo India, Target Olympic Podium Scheme increasing participation of women, para-athletes, and
(TOPS), and KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identifica- tribal athletes have been accelerated. As a result, the

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