(a) whether the Government has any proposal to enhance the investment
in the sports sector for improving the sporting infrastructure around
the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government also has any plan to restore the glory of
Indian sports and to encourage the sportspersons to follow ethical
practices through various incentives including providing adequate funds
for training and other facilities; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE( INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI AJAY MAKEN)
(a) & (b): With the objective of creating basic sports facilities in rural
areas, the Government is already implementing the Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel
Abhiyan (PYKKA). This project aims at providing basic sports facilities in all
village panchayats and block panchayats in the country in a phased manner over
a period of 10 years, apart from providing access to organized sports competitions
at block, district, State and National level.
For urban areas, the Government has introduced a pilot scheme entitled
‘Scheme of Assistance for the creation of Urban Sports Infrastructure’ from
2010-11, which encourages setting of playing facilities to be used as Sports
Academies to train talented youth.
(c) & (d): There has been perceptible improvement in the performance of
the Indian sportspersons in recent years as is evident from country’s
performance at the Commonwealth Games, 2010 where it stood 2nd and in the
Asian Games, 2010 where it stood 5th. This improved performance has been
a result of intensive training provided to them over the past two and half
years under the Scheme of Preparation of India Teams for Commonwealth Games,
2010. With a view to sustaining these efforts for forthcoming London Olympics,
the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has launched Project ‘Operation
Excellence for London Olympic 2012’ (OPEX 2012) under which core probables
have been identified and are being provided with intensive training, both
within the country and abroad and competition exposures in international
sports competitions. Based on the approved funding norms, which are at par
with Commonwealth Games-2010 scales, with further up scaling in certain
areas such as lodging, nutrition, scientific support and daily allowance,
the budget for OPEX-2012 has been estimated at Rs. 258.39 crore for the
period April 2011 to August 2012, covering expenditure towards maintenance
charges towards field of play (Rs. 7.60 crore), boarding and food supplements
(Rs. 36.95 crore), lodging (Rs. 49.74 crore), scientific & medical support
(Rs. 5.06 crore), consumable sports equipment including competition kit
(Rs. 18.58 crore), non-consumable sports equipment (Rs. 4.37 crore),
Indian coaches (Rs. 2.91 crore), foreign coaches (Rs. 20.00 crore),
support personnel (Rs. 7.84 crore), foreign competition and training
exposure (Rs. 75.45 crore), competition exposure within India (Rs. 19.18 crore)
and sports kit (Rs. 3.80 crore). Discipline-wise details of estimated
expenditure are given in Annexure.
Government is fully committed to promoting dope free sporting
environment in the country. The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has
been set up for promoting, coordinating and monitoring the Dope Control
Programme in sports in the country. The NADA Anti Doping Rules, which are
compliant with the Anti Doping Code of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA),
are applicable to all sports and all the National Sports Federations have
to comply with these requirements. NADA also conducts education programmes
for athletes and coaches for making them aware of ill effects of doping and
nature of banned substances as well as implications of violating anti
doping rules.