Indian Hockey Players To Get A Monthly Stipend From Sports Ministry
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Indian hockey players selected for national camps will receive a Rs 25,000 monthly allowance. The decision, costing Rs 20 lakh per month, was approved by the sports ministry.
For the first time, Indian hockey players selected for the men's and women's national camps will receive a Rs 25,000 monthly out-of-pocket allowance, a decision sanctioned by the sports ministry after consistent requests from the sport's governing body.
Eighty players (40 men and 40 women) are set to benefit from this allowance, which is extended to athletes in the developmental group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme. The decision was made during the Mission Olympic Cell's monthly meeting on Thursday.
This allowance will cost the government Rs 20 lakh per month, while core group athletes receive Rs 50,000 per month.
'The allowance was being requested by Hockey India for some time, and we have decided to accept the demand. The players have performed reasonably well, and it is on merit," Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed reporters in an informal interaction.
Hockey India will need to submit a list of players every month to facilitate the disbursement of funds.
'The list will consider form and fitness, and names might change depending on these factors," a sports ministry source explained.
Currently, hockey players earn salaries from their respective departments and organisations, although a proposal for a graded contract system by Hockey India has been under consideration for the past few years.
Their additional source of income comes from prize money for strong international performances in events like the Olympics and the Asian Games.
The men's team has secured two consecutive bronze medals in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the subsequent Paris Games last year. The women's team finished fourth in Tokyo but did not qualify for the Paris event.
Both teams are currently competing in the FIH Pro League's European leg, where the results have not been particularly encouraging so far.
The MOC also approved financial proposals amounting to Rs 4.28 crore during the meeting.
A significant portion of the funds — Rs 1.38 crore — will be allocated to tennis players such as Saketh Myneni, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, and three women players.
'Several proposals for assistance from para-athletes were also approved. Additionally, a few additions were made to the TOPS developmental group. The core group remains unchanged for now," a Sports Authority of India (SAI) official stated.
The ministry has also decided to enhance its talent identification process with an app that will allow talented youngsters to upload their performances for evaluation by regional talent identification panels of the SAI.
'If found promising at first glance, the youngster will be invited to Khelo India Regional Centres where their potential will be assessed. This will broaden our talent identification mechanism, which is currently limited to age group competitions," Mandaviya said.
'It will ensure that we can reach the remotest corners of the country to find promising athletes. This is all part of the National Sports Repository System," he added.
With PTI inputs.
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