Govt to hike diet allowance of athletes under various schemes
SAI currently operates three in-house schemes to promote excellence in sports, namely SAI Training Centres (STCs), Special Area Games (SAGs) and Centre of Excellence (COEs).
The Sports Ministry has decided to increase the dietary allowance of the athletes training under various SAI Promotional Schemes effective from next month.
The maximum increase of Rs 140 will be for trainees under Army Boys Sports Companies scheme, SAI Training Centres and Special Area Games scheme in Special Category States (North East, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal) who would be provided diet allowance of Rs 200 per day.
"For the remaining states/UTs, the dietary provision would be Rs 175 per trainee per day which sees an increase of Rs 50. However for trainees of Centre of Excellence (COEs), dietary provision has been increased from Rs 175 to Rs 225 per day pan India," the Ministry said in a release.
"And for National Sports Talent Contest schemes the present sanction is Rs 125 per day which saw an increase of Rs 50 per day per person," it said.
"This frontward step will benefit 7479 residential SAI trainees across the country. SAI has currently 52 trainees in 17 adopted schools under the NSTC Scheme; 1005 trainees in 15 ABSCs; 4393 trainees in 58 STCs; 1693 trainees in 20 SAG Centres and 336 trainees in 10 COEs," the release said.
SAI currently operates three in-house schemes to promote excellence in sports, namely SAI Training Centres (STCs), Special Area Games (SAGs) and Centre of Excellence (COEs). While the former two schemes focus on junior-level sportspersons, the COE acts as a constant pool of highly skilled sportspersons from where players for national teams can be sourced.
In addition, SAI also operates the National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) Scheme in adopted schools for Sub-juniors and the Army Boys Sports Companies (ABSC) Scheme in collaboration with the Indian Army.