Sports Ministry all set to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence

The Sports Ministry is all set to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence under the Khelo India Scheme. One such centre will be identified in each State and Union Territory with an aim to create a robust sporting ecosystem in the entire country. In the first leg, the Ministry has identified state-owned sports facilities in eight states including Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala, Telengana, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland which will be upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of Excellence.

 

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said, these centres are being established to strengthen India’s pursuit for excellence in Olympics. He said, the effort is to scale up the best sporting facilities



available in each state into academies of world-class standard. Mr. Rijiju said, the sporting facilities have been identified after in-depth analysis by a government committee. He expressed confidence that this step will tap the talents from across the country and will prove beneficial in training of athletes.

 

The State and Union Territory will run the centre and build capacity to turn it into the world-class sporting facility. They will be responsible for all aspects of management of the centre including, boarding, lodging and maintenance, while funds for expert coaches, supporting staff, equipments, infrastructure will be extended through the Khelo India Scheme.