New Delhi, March 16: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, stated that the Khelo India Mission is being implemented to prepare the country for upcoming Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. Speaking during a parliamentary question session, he emphasized that the government is working on multiple initiatives to elevate sports to new heights.
Mandaviya remarked, “There was a time when preparations were not timely, and budgets were lacking. The Khelo India Mission is introduced to ensure that the country is ready for the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, aiming to increase our medal tally. We have moved away from traditional sports management, which was often marred by political interference, to foster a more collaborative sports sector through our new sports policy.”
He further added, “We have also introduced the Sports Governance Bill. This is the Modi government, which has laid out a comprehensive plan for the sports sector. Initially, we focused on developing a sports culture through initiatives like Khelo India and Fit India, followed by the Sports Governance Bill. Now, with the Khelo India Mission, we are preparing to take sports in the country to new heights.”
In response to an opposition question, the sports minister assured that the government is committed to financially supporting athletes participating in international tournaments.
He explained, “When any team travels abroad for a tournament, the government covers all expenses. There are many competitions that are not national-level events, where the federation does not officially send a team. However, if our athletes need to participate in such tournaments, we receive applications for support. If a talented athlete is heading abroad but lacks funds, we have the authority to assist. We arrange their travel tickets to ensure they face no obstacles in competing.”
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