SAI shortlists 734 young Indian athletes for Khelo India scholarship

The Sports Authority of India has shortlisted 734 (385 boys and 349 girls) young Indian players for a scholarship programme under the Khelo India Talent Identification scheme. The names were shortlisted on Sunday by SAI's High Powered Committee (HPC), soon after Arjuna awardees and Dronacharya awardees, working as a talent identification committee, put forth the names of the beneficiaries.

The two key offerings of the scholarship programme are:

1) Training support

Khelo India-accredited academies and 21 non-SAI academies approved by the HPC are to provide sufficient training support to the young players chosen under the scholarship programme.

2) An annual stipend of Rs 1.2 lakh

This stipend will be given to the players on a quarterly basis, with the chief purpose to meet their out-of-pocket expenses, treatment of injuries, and local travel expenses (for themselves and their family members).

All the necessary expenses relevant to training, boarding and tournaments will be taken care of by the accredited academies. The additional focus is on providing quality training to the players by eliminating the need to travel long distances.

However, it is not entirely going to be a cake-walk for both parties as the performance of both, the academies and the players, will be put through a review mechanism. Any negative results of the review may lead to an unpleasant end, marking the de-listing of the academies, and picking out of the players not meeting the preset requisites.

It is exactly the support of this sort that's needed in our nation bursting with limitless talents in the field of sports, but with limited resources.

"Catch them young is no longer a slogan but is visible in our action. We are developing a sports system that connects local potential to global podiums, that encourages every Indian to have sports as a part of their lives for entertainment, education or excellence," Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said.