The Sports Authority of India has released 8.25 crore for 2749 Khelo India athletes for the first quarter of 2020-21. It has deposited 30,000 each as a pocket allowance in accounts of each of the athletes.
A press release from SAI said that, “The money has been transferred to accounts of athletes on May 22. A total of 2,893 athletes will be given Out of Pocket Allowances for the period with the funds to the remaining 144 athletes to be transferred by the end of May.”
The allowance covers expenses towards travel to hometown, diet charges while at home, and other expenses incurred by athletes.
The release further explained that athletes from 35 States and Union Territories have been given the OPA in 21 sporting disciplines. The maximum number of athletes are from Maharashtra (386), Haryana (381), Delhi (225), Punjab (202), and Tamil Nadu (165).
The Out of Pocket (OPA) expense is 1.20 lakh annually. It is a part of the Khelo India Scholarship of Rs. 6.25 lakh which is given to each athlete selected under the scheme annually.
The Government of India 2826.92 crore to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport this financial year. Notably, it gave a substantial hike of 291.42 crores to the flagship Khelo India programme . Since its inception, Khelo India has played a significant role in the development of sports at the grassroots and youth levels.
It is a programme initiated by the Sports Authority of India, and it has inspired and encouraged many youths of our country to take up sports as a career.
During the lockdown, the athletes have faced numerous problems concerning training and other facilities. However, the SAI has tried to come up with the best possible solution to help the athletes.
The fund released by SAI for the Khelo India athletes will help the athletes meet their training needs more efficiently.
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