India’s elite athletes have also begun to prepare for Olympic qualification events. The funding for National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has increased. NSF assistance has been increased from 280 crore to 325 crore in 2022-23.
SAI has been allocated 785.5 crore, an increase from the revised budget of 749.43 crore last year. It was originally budgeted for 653 crore in the previous fiscal year. SAI oversees national team preparation, manages national camps, provides infrastructure and other facilities to athletes, and appoints coaches, including foreign experts.
Khelo India, the government’s flagship programme, will receive a sizable portion of the sports budget. It receives 1,000 crore, an increase of 400 crore over the previous budget’s revised allocation of 600 crore. Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are organised as part of the scheme. Through its various schemes, it has evolved into a platform for talent identification and development. Since its inception in 2018, Khelo India’s budget has steadily increased.
The National Sports University in Imphal has received a significant funding allocation of 107.84 crore. NSU, founded in 2018, is a one-of-a-kind institution that offers studies in sports science and medicine, coaching, sports management, and technology.
The National Centre of Sports Science and Research, which provides financial assistance to medical colleges and universities in order to develop sports science and research centres, has been allocated 13 crore.
Incentives to athletes have decreased by 10 crore, from 55 crore last year. The National Anti Doping Agency has been given a budget of 21.73 crore to combat the doping problem. The World Anti-Doping Agency has restored the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory in Delhi, which will receive 19.50 crore in December 2021. Last year, the National Anti-Doping Bill was passed, creating a statutory body to regulate anti-doping activities in sports.
