New Delhi: India’s tremendous success at the Tokyo Olympics seems to have influenced the sports budget. The central government Tuesday allocated Rs 3062.60 crore for financial year 2022-23 – an increase of Rs 305.58 crore, compared to last year’s amount. In the last financial year, the government had allocated Rs 2596.14 crore for sports, which was later revised to Rs 2757.02 crore.
India won won seven medals, including a historic track and field gold, at the Tokyo Olympics. The sporting activities have also resumed in a phased manner in India and 2022 is an important season because of two global events – the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Hangzhou Asian Games – lined up.
Considering all of it, the government may have decided to spend more on sporting activities.
The government’s flagship ‘Khelo India’ programme witnessed an increase of Rs 316.29 crore in the 2021-22 budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday. The financial allocation towards ‘Khelo India’ programme, which got Rs 657.71 crore in the last budget, was increased to Rs 974 crore.
The total encouragement and awards to sports persons have seen a substantial increase from Rs 245 crore to Rs 357 crore.
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However, the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) budget had been reduced by Rs 7.41 crore to Rs 653 crore. The SAI is the nodal organisation to manage nationals camps, provide infrastructure, equipment and other logistics to the country’s sportspersons.
The allocation towards National Sports Development Fund has been reduced by Rs 9 crore to Rs 16 crore. However, the National service scheme has witnessed a whopping jump of Rs 118.50 crore from Rs 165 crore to Rs 283.50 core. The allocation towards National Sports Federations (NSFs) remained untouched at Rs 280 crore. A sum of Rs 55 crore has been allocated as incentives for sportspersons.