NEW DELHI: The Indian government has proposed to invest in women’s sports. Encouraged by India’s female athletes’ success on the global stage over the years, particularly at multisport events such as the Olympics, the government has set apart Rs 15.03 crore to run the Khelo India women’s leagues across nine disciplines for the next four years in order to identify new talent.
The momentum will comprise cash prizes totaling Rs 4.23 crore, which will be distributed directly to the respective national sports federations (NSFs) to organize the leagues.
According to reports, the sports ministry has authorized plans under the Khelo India scheme to conduct age-group competitions for women across nine disciplines. Hockey, archery, weightlifting, cycling, boxing, swimming, wrestling, volleyball, and judo are among these sports. Throughout, 23,000 female athletes from all over the country are expected to compete.
Similar leagues in senior, junior, youth and cadet categories will also take place in other sports. The recently concluded women’s hockey league in the under-21 category in Lucknow was the first of such initiatives. Similar leagues in senior, junior, youth and cadet categories will also take place in other sports. The ministry has also approved the Khelo India women’s hockey league for under-16s, which will take place in three parts in August, October, and December in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
The move, according to Piyush Kumar Dubey, coach of the men’s hockey team that won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, will give women’s sports in India more energy.
Second, coaches will be able to evaluate their students’ performance in competitive tournaments away from practice,” Dubey explained. Third, these leagues will assist in the players’ early evolution, building on the success of our women’s teams in Tokyo last year, he added.
