The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has officially notified a comprehensive financial outlay of ₹29,054 crore for the revamped Khelo India Scheme, covering the period from 2026-27 to 2030-31. This substantial allocation underscores the government's steadfast commitment to revolutionizing India's sports ecosystem. The scheme is designed to create a structured and seamless pathway for athletes, starting from grassroots participation and talent identification, all the way to elite-level training and international competition. A key aspect of this revamped initiative is its focus on integrating sports with education, aiming to identify and nurture promising young athletes through a four-tier development pathway encompassing Foundation, Grassroots, Intermediate, and Elite levels.
The funding will be strategically distributed across nine core components, with a significant portion, ₹10,586 crore, earmarked for enhancing Khelo India Training Facilities. This includes integrating Olympic Training Centres, State Training Centres, Khelo India Centres of Excellence, and local grassroots facilities, ensuring athletes have access to modern sports science, nutrition, mental health support, and technology-enabled monitoring. Additionally, ₹2,358 crore has been allocated for sports competitions and leagues, facilitating the expansion of structured tournaments across various age groups and disciplines, including Youth and University Games. The scheme also includes provisions for promoting women's participation through ASMITA Leagues, supporting para-athletes, indigenous and tribal games, and leveraging sports for peace and development. This multi-pronged approach aims to significantly expand India's athlete pool and bolster its performance on the global sporting stage.
The BCCI has announced India's squads for the upcoming white-ball home series against West Indies, with Shubman Gill leading in ODIs and Shreyas Iyer in T20Is, while Rishabh Pant captains Rest of India.
India claimed its first medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya as the women's 10m air rifle team of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod finished second.
Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of the upcoming Asian Games and Japan T20I due to a side strain, with uncapped all-rounder Vipraj Nigam named as his replacement.
Deepika Sehrawat starred with eight goals as the Indian women's hockey team crushed Uzbekistan 19-0 in their Asian Games opener in Japan. Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia also achieved a major milestone, earning her 320th international cap.
