Thiruvananthapuram Sep 9 (IANS) The Government of India is set to give a major push to the Khelo India programme, with the revised scheme expected to open up significantly greater opportunities for Kerala to identify sporting talent and develop athletes for national and international competition.
Kerala has the potential to make a significant contribution to India’s medal tally at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, particularly in canoeing, kayaking, rowing and fencing, said Dr N. Sarath Chandra Yadav, Regional Director, Sports Authority of India (SAI) Thiruvananthapuram, here on Wednesday.
He said the Centre would work alongside the State Government to strengthen Kerala’s sporting ecosystem, with greater emphasis on identifying talent at the grassroots and providing athletes with sustained support.
Speaking to the media on the revised Khelo India scheme for 2026-31, Yadav said promising youngsters would be identified from competitions such as the State School Sports Meet.
Coaches associated with the Khelo India programme would play a key role in spotting and nurturing such talent. The revised scheme will also facilitate the establishment of multiple Khelo India Centres in every district, he said.
Kerala currently has 23 Khelo India Centres, a Khelo India State Centre of Excellence and nine Khelo India-accredited academies.
The programme has been expanded around nine major areas, including sports infrastructure, competitions and leagues, talent identification, Khelo India training facilities, development of coaches and support staff, the Fit India Movement and sports technology.
The revised programme has been allocated Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-31, according to the details presented by SAI officials.
This represents a substantial increase over the earlier allocation. The number of athletes covered by the programme is also expected to increase sharply.
The expanded scheme will provide financial assistance to 9,000 Khelo India athletes and 18,000 Emerging Khelo India athletes. Support will cover areas including training, food, accommodation, sports kits and education.
The greater emphasis on competitions and leagues is also expected to give athletes more opportunities to compete, assess their performances and progress to higher levels.
The scale of the opportunity is reflected in the performance pipeline already emerging from SAI’s Thiruvananthapuram centre. As many as 29 athletes from the centre will participate in athletics, fencing, cycling, canoeing, kayaking and rowing at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Yadav said the revised Khelo India programme could strengthen Kerala’s sporting sector from grassroots talent identification to the production of athletes capable of competing at the highest international level.
Assistant Director Nimisha Peechara explained the revised scheme and the opportunities it offers Kerala. Arjuna Award winners Mohammed Ajmal and Saji Thomas, SAI Deputy Director Varsha Sabale, Assistant Director Selvamani A and Kerala Olympic Association president V. Sunil Kumar were present.
–IANS
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