Promotion of sports among disabled persons

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Jitendra Singh has said that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is implementing the following Schemes which promote sports among persons with disabilities:

(i) Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs)

(ii) Scheme of Pension to Meritorious sportspersons

(iii) Scheme of Special Awards to medal winners in international sports events

(iv) Recognition by way of conferment of Arjuna Awards

(v) Scheme of Sports & Games for Persons with Disabilities.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today Shri Jitendra Singh said, under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs, financial assistance is also provided to the NSFs which are dealing with disabled sportspersons, viz. Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for physically disabled, Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) for intellectually challenged and the All India Sports Council for Deaf (AISCD) towards conduct of National Championships and International Tournaments in India, participation in International tournaments abroad, organizing coaching camps, procuring sports equipments, engagement of foreign coaches and disbursement of salaries of the paid Joint/Assistant Secretaries engaged by NSFs.

He said, under the Scheme of Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons, launched in the year 1994, those sportspersons who are Indian citizens and have won gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympic Games, World Cup/World Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Paralympic Games and have attained the age of 30 years and have retired from active sports career are eligible for life pension.

Under the Scheme of Special Awards, winners of medals in international sports events and their coaches are given cash awards. Winners of medals in Paralympic Games and Para-Asian Games are eligible for Special Awards.

Arjuna Awards Scheme provides that at least one award is given exclusively for sports for physically challenged.

With the objective of broad-basing participative sports among persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports introduced the Scheme of Sports and Games for Persons with disabilities. The Scheme of Sports & Games for the Disabled has the following components:-

(i) Grant for sports coaching and purchase of consumables and non-consumable sports equipments for Schools;

(ii) Grant for Training of Coaches;

(iii) Grant for holding District, State & National level competitions for the Disabled

While organizing national coaching camps for para-athletes prior to participation in international tournaments, sports facilities including sports equipments are provided by Sports Authority of India as per the requirements of the para-athletes. Adequate arrangements with regard to sports infrastructure being disabled-friendly are also made at the competition and training venues by Sports Authority of India at its centres, Shri Jitendra Singh added.

Source: PIB