The Sports Ministry has increased the financial assistance available to National Sports Federations (NSFs) for hosting international tournaments in India from Rs 2 crore to up to Rs 50 crore, as part of a revised funding scheme aimed at strengthening the country’s sporting ecosystem ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its bid to host the 2036 Olympics.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the revised operational guidelines on Friday, October 16, with the government approving the continuation of the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations for 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a total outlay of Rs 7,386.74 crore. The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics while interacting with Asian Games medallists in New Delhi. India is also set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030.
The revised ceiling of Rs 50 crore is not an automatic allocation. The assistance will depend on the nature and importance of the event, the number of participating countries and athletes, and an assessment of proposals by a designated committee headed by the Sports Secretary.
The increase is intended to strengthen India’s ability to host international competitions, while giving national federations greater financial support to organise events at home. The revised scheme also provides assistance of up to Rs 50 crore for the conduct of the National Games, covering sports equipment, timing, scoring and results services, remuneration for technical officials and other technical requirements.
The changes go beyond hosting competitions. The scheme is the principal channel through which the government supports athletes preparing for major international events, including the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Paralympic Games and World Championships.
Under the scheme, recognised federations can receive assistance for national coaching camps, training at academies, boarding and lodging, sports kits, insurance and sports science services. Funding also covers foreign coaches, high-performance directors, physiotherapists, doctors and other support personnel, alongside overseas training and competition exposure.
OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTRES
One of the key additions is the proposed establishment of Olympic Training Centres (OTCs), specialised facilities dedicated to individual sports and equipped with modern training infrastructure, sports science equipment and expert personnel. Elite athletes training at these centres will be eligible for support towards coaches and technical staff, sports science services, specialised equipment and technical assistance.
The stated objective is to provide high-quality training within India and reduce dependence on overseas facilities. The centres are expected to complement existing training arrangements at National Centres of Excellence, academies and private facilities.
The revised guidelines also place greater emphasis on building a pipeline of athletes and coaches. National Sports Federations are required to earmark at least 20 per cent of their annual assistance budget for grassroots development through affiliated units. The scheme also mandates annual national championships for men and women across senior, junior and sub-junior categories, subject to the prescribed eligibility and participation norms.
DIRECTOR FOR NSFs
For coach development, at least 10 per cent of funding must be allocated to plans for developing coaches and technical staff. Federations with annual budgets of Rs 10 crore or more must appoint a High Performance Director. The guidelines also place a cap on foreign coaches’ remuneration at 30 per cent of a federation’s overall approved budget and require federations to groom at least five Indian coaches alongside foreign experts.
These provisions seek to balance access to international expertise with the development of domestic coaching capacity. The revised framework also categorises sports as High Priority, Priority and General, replacing the earlier ‘Others’ category, with different assistance limits for national championships.
The scheme introduces provisions to expand the international reach of indigenous sports. Federations governing traditional Indian disciplines can seek support for efforts to secure their inclusion as demonstration events at global competitions, establish national federations in other countries and support international or continental bodies operating from India.
India will also be able to use its existing high-performance facilities to strengthen sporting cooperation with countries in the Global South. The revised scheme provides for scholarships and subsidised access to training facilities for athletes and coaches from partner countries. Financial support has also been included for sporting competitions, conferences, workshops and research involving multilateral groupings such as BRICS and BIMSTEC.
The revised guidelines set out a broader framework for planning and accountability, with federations expected to submit detailed plans aligned with a four-year Olympic cycle, broken down into annual estimates. The scheme also provides for centralised digital systems to track data and performance.
While the higher funding ceiling could help India attract more international competitions and improve preparation for major events, the impact will depend on how federations use the assistance, the quality of their proposals and the implementation of the new provisions.
With the next five-year funding cycle covering preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the country’s longer-term Olympic ambitions, the revised scheme seeks to link government spending not just to competition participation, but also to training infrastructure, grassroots development and the wider administration of Indian sport.
KEY CHANGES
- International events: Financial assistance of up to Rs 50 crore for hosting international tournaments in India, against the earlier ceiling of Rs 2 crore.
- National Games: Assistance of up to Rs 50 crore for equipment, timing, scoring, results services and technical operations.
- Olympic Training Centres: Proposed sport-specific centres with modern facilities, sports science services and expert support for elite athletes.
- Grassroots development: NSFs must earmark at least 20% of their annual assistance budget for grassroots programmes through affiliated units.
- Coach development: At least 10% of funding must go towards developing coaches and technical staff. Federations must also groom at least five Indian coaches alongside foreign experts.
- High-performance management: NSFs with annual budgets of Rs 10 crore or more must appoint a High Performance Director.
- Funding cycle: The scheme has an approved outlay of Rs 7,386.74 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31.
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