Sports Ministry increases financial assistance to NSFs

Keeping pace with India’s aspirations to host the 2036 Olympics and an aim to strengthen the sports ecosystem across the country, the Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya  announced an increase in dietary allocations and salaries of its athletes and coaches. 

Under the revised norms, senior athletes in the national camps will now be eligible for Rs 1000 per day for diet as against Rs 690 per day while the junior athletes will get Rs 850 per day as compared to Rs 480 per day.

The revised norms are a measure to revamp the ministry's Scheme of Assistance to the National Sports Federation (NSF) following the commencement of a new Olympic Cycle.

Chief national coaches will have an increased salary of Rs 7.5 lakh per month as compared to Rs 5 lakh, while other coaches will get Rs 3 lakh monthly, up from their previous salary of Rs 2 lakh.

The ministry also increased its financial assistance for the conduct of national championships from Rs 51 lakh to Rs 90 lakh for high-priority sports and to Rs 75 lakh for other sports.

Every international tournament hosted in India will get an increased assistance of Rs 2 crore. The sports ministry marked hockey, shooting, badminton, tennis, athletics, boxing, archery, wrestling and weightlifting as high-priority sports.

According to the new reforms, the NSFs must earmark at least 20 percent of their annual budget for grassroots development, channeled through affiliate units for junior/youth development.

Additionally, at least 10 percent funds be allocated for coach and technical staff development, conduct of training courses in India, courses for Indian personnel abroad, development of coaching curriculum, conduct of conferences, seminars, workshops, inviting Foreign/Indian experts for conduct of workshops/courses and conduct of national and international certification courses.

All NSFs, with an annual budget of Rs 10 crore and above, must mandatorily appoint a High Performance Director (HPD). HPD will be responsible for designing and monitoring the sport’s technical development programme.