India’s 118-member contingent participated in the Olympic Games that started in Paris on 26 July, in which athletics was represented by a 28-member team led by Neeraj Chopra. An Olympic medal is enough to increase the prestige of the sport, if that medal is gold, then it is like icing on the cake. India’s success in the last Olympic cycle has inspired the government to increase investment in sports.
Athletics got the biggest financial support
After the brilliant achievements of javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra in the Tokyo Olympics, athletics has received financial support of Rs 96.08 crore from the government. This amount is the largest part of the nearly Rs 470 crore spent on India’s total preparation in 16 sports. In the last Olympic cycle, athletics received only Rs 5.38 crore, but this time due to expectations, financial assistance has been increased drastically.
Other sports also got significant support
After athletics, badminton has received the highest support of Rs 72.02 crore. This includes PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Boxing and shooting have received Rs 60.93 crore and Rs 60.42 crore respectively. Hockey has received financial support of Rs 41.29 crore in the last three years, while archery has received Rs 39.18 crore.
Sports with less financial support
Equestrian has received the least financial support, a mere Rs 95 lakh, while tennis has received Rs 1.67 crore and golf Rs 1.74 crore. Rowing, swimming, sailing, and judo have received financial assistance of Rs 3.89 crore, Rs 3.90 crore, Rs 3.78 crore, and Rs 6.30 crore respectively.
Huge investment in foreign travel and training
The government has also provided significant support to sports for foreign trips. The highest number of foreign trips went to shuttlers, a total of 81 tours. Shooters have received 45, tennis players 40, and athletics players 31 overseas tours.
Funding Process
The funding process by the government is done in three categories – Annual Calendar (ACTC), Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Proposals are sent by the athletes and the respective federations, which are approved after serious deliberations.
This is a great glimpse of the preparations of Indian players for the Paris Olympics 2024 and the financial support provided by the government. Each sport has been provided financial support based on its potential and achievements, allowing Indian athletes to make their mark on the world stage.
