India runs one of the world’s most developed sports scholarship ecosystems – and most athletes, even those competing at national level, know only one or two schemes from a system that actually has dozens: central government scholarships through SAI, state government talent nurturing schemes, the TOPS programme for Olympic pathway athletes, BCCI financial assistance for … Read more
The National Sports Talent Contest scholarship is India’s most systematic talent-identification and funding programme for young athletes, run by the Sports Authority of India to discover, develop and finance promising sportspersons from the grassroots level to national competition. NSTC is where the SAI pipeline begins: athletes identified through the scheme are the pool from which … Read more
The Sports Authority of India is the country’s largest sports infrastructure and talent development organisation, and its scholarship and training support programmes are the backbone of India’s publicly funded athletic ecosystem. SAI scholarships – through its training centres, residential academies and direct financial assistance schemes – support thousands of athletes across dozens of sports at … Read more
Cricket is India’s most-funded sport by private resources, and the BCCI’s financial support system for cricketers at every level – from Under-16 state contracts to senior national player contracts – is the largest sports funding structure in any single discipline in the country. Yet most aspiring cricketers know only the BCCI’s visible top-end contracts and … Read more
Indian football has undergone a structural financial transformation in the last decade – the Indian Super League brought franchise-model professional contracts to the country, the I-League provides a parallel professional structure, the All India Football Federation runs a national championship ecosystem with wage requirements and developmental grants, and SAI, Khelo India and state sports bodies … Read more
Kabaddi has undergone a professional revolution in India since the Pro Kabaddi League’s launch – from a sport with no formal salary structure to one with franchise contracts reaching crores for elite raiders and defenders, a complete national federation support system through the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), Khelo India kabaddi competitions at school … Read more
Badminton is India’s most globally competitive racket sport, with a deep professional structure built on BWF world rankings, the Badminton Association of India’s national tournament ecosystem, the Premier Badminton League’s franchise salary system, SAI Pullela Gopichand Academy-level support, Khelo India badminton, state badminton associations’ scholarship schemes, and a corporate sponsorship culture that has followed India’s … Read more
Wrestling is India’s deepest Olympic medal sport – the country has won more Olympic wrestling medals than in any other discipline, and the Wrestling Federation of India together with SAI, state wrestling associations, Khelo India, the armed forces and PSU employment together create the most comprehensive financial support ecosystem for any combat sport in the … Read more
Field hockey is India’s national sport with an Olympic tradition spanning over a century, and Hockey India’s professional league structure, international programme support, SAI hockey academies, PSU employment that is the deepest in any team sport, and Khelo India hockey development together create a comprehensive financial ecosystem for Indian hockey players. The Hockey India League’s … Read more
Indian athletics – track, field and road racing – runs on the deepest government support structure of any individual sport in India: the Athletics Federation of India’s national championship and international selection system, SAI’s largest sport by participant number with multiple residential training centres, the full TOPS programme covering sprinters, jumpers, throwers, middle-distance and marathon … Read more