PROMOTION OF SPORTS
The Government for
the promotion of Hockey has provided of Rs. 62.545 lakhs as assistance
to State Governments and Sports Authority of India (SAI) for installation/replacement
of artificial hockey surfaces under the Scheme:- :Grants for Installation
of Synthetic Playing Surfaces in 2001-02. 1219 trainees are getting
coaching at 50 SAI centres throughout the country. During 2003-04,
hockey is being introduced at the SAG Centre, Aizwal for Women’s
Hockey.
The Government also
provides assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs) under
its scheme:- "Assistance to National Sports Federations"
for training and participation of teams in tournaments abroad.
The NSFs are being assisted for coaching of sports persons included
in the National Teams, with the help of Indian and foreign coaches,
provision of requisite equipment and scientific support through
the SAI.
Promising sports
persons are also provided a package of assistance (upto Rs. 5
lakhs) for training and up-gradation of their skills. Supporting
personnel, such as, coaches and sports scientists are also assisted
to undergo specialized training in India and abroad.
Government also
augments, through various schemes of Sports Authority of India
(SAI), the efforts of the State Governments in promotion of sports
at sub-junior, junior and senior level. SAI is implementing the
following schemes :
- National Sports Talent Contest
Scheme (NSTC)
- Army Boys Sports Company Scheme
(ABSC)
- SAI Training Centres Scheme (STC)
- Special Area Games Scheme (SAG)
- Centre of Excellence Scheme (COE)
The Ministry
of Youth Affairs & Sports implements a Scheme of Rural Sports
Programme, which too, helps in scouting sports talent from rural
areas. The number of trainees has reached 7,580 under this programme.
During the last
three years, construction of 20 (category-I) Swimming Pools has
been approved by the Government, involving a Central assistance
of Rs. 11.623 crores.
This information
was given by Shri Vikram Verma, Minister of Youth Affairs &
Sports in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
