Revised Sports Ministry Incentives: End of an Era for Junior Athletes

The sports ministry has revamped its cash incentive policy, including medal winners from mallakhamb, e-sports, and break-dancing for awards but excluding junior and sub-junior athletes from Olympic disciplines. Prize money for para-athletes is increased, while coaches are now prioritized in the incentives scheme.

The sports ministry has unveiled its revised cash incentive policy, now extending rewards to medal winners in mallakhamb, e-sports, and even break-dancing, although criticized by some. Notably, junior and sub-junior athletes from Olympic disciplines are no longer eligible.

This revised list now features 51 sports, including those from the Olympic, Asian, and Commonwealth Games rosters, along with indigenous events like kho-kho and Ju-Jitsu. The decision does not impact para-athletes, who will receive increased prize money, with a hike for events featuring deaf, blind, and intellectually challenged athletes.

The policy also emphasizes increased incentives for coaches, with grassroots-level, developmental-level, and elite-level coaches receiving specified percentages of the athletes' incentives. However, the exclusion of junior athletes from awards raises concerns about their development support.