Three bodies run sport in India. The Sports Ministry makes policy, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) trains athletes, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) sends the team to the Games. Each sport also has its own federation, the official body that picks and trains its players.
Contents
What should I know first about sport in India?
Who runs sport in India?
No single office controls sport in India. Three bodies share the work, and each sport also has its own federation. A federation is the official body for one sport, such as hockey or boxing. Each of the three has its own job.
What do the three bodies do?
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: it launches the schemes. It started TOPS in September 2014. The Union Budget 2026-27 gave it ₹4,479.88 crore.
- Sports Authority of India (SAI): it trains athletes. It works through regional and training centres.
- Indian Olympic Association (IOA): it sends India’s teams to the Olympic Games.
Who picks the players?
Each sport has its own National Sports Federation, or NSF. The NSF picks and trains the players for its sport. This split has held since the 1948 Olympics.
How do I remember the split?
Use one line: the Ministry decides, SAI builds, and the IOA sends.
Sources: Sports Authority of India, about page, Indian Olympic Association, history page, PIB backgrounder, 27 July 2026.
How did the Indian Olympic Association begin?
The IOA dates from 1927. It grew out of India’s first Olympic trips and the All India Olympic Games.
What came before the IOA?
India first took part in the Olympics in 1900, in Paris. Norman Pritchard, an Anglo-Indian who was holidaying there, represented the country. After the 1920 and 1924 Games, Sir Dorabji Tata argued for a national sports body.
What happened in 1923-24?
A provisional All India Olympic Committee was set up. It held the All India Olympic Games in February 1924. Eight athletes from those Games went to the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Who formed the IOA?
The IOA was formed in 1927. Sir Dorabji Tata was its founding President. Dr A.G. Noehren was its Secretary.
How did its job change?
At first the IOA chose the athletes. By 1946-47 it only sent the team. For the 1948 Olympics it entered seven sports: athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, football and hockey.
Sources: Indian Olympic Association, early years.
Does India have a national game?
No sport has been officially declared India’s national game. The Centre said so in 2012.
What is an RTI reply?
RTI stands for Right to Information. A citizen can ask a public office for facts. The office must send an official reply.
What did the 2012 reply say?
Deccan Herald reported on 2 August 2012 that the Centre said India has no national game. Moneylife carried the same news. It said no game or sport has “National Game” status, according to the Sports Ministry.
Why do people say hockey?
Many people name hockey. The 2012 reply does not support that belief. In an exam, write that no sport has been officially declared.
Sources: Deccan Herald, 2 August 2012, Moneylife, the RTI report.
What else is worth knowing?
What does the Sports Authority of India do?
SAI was set up in 1984. It carries forward the legacy of the IXth Asian Games, held in New Delhi in 1982.
How was SAI set up?
It is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. A society is a group registered by law. The Department of Sports issued Resolution No. 1-1/83/SAI on 25 January 1984.
What are its two aims?
The Resolution gave SAI twin aims. One is to promote sports. The other is to achieve sporting excellence at the national and international level.
What does it run?
SAI runs schemes to find and develop young talent. It works through regional and training centres across the country. It also offers courses in physical education and sports.
Which stadiums does it keep?
SAI looks after stadiums in Delhi built or renovated for the 1982 Asian Games. They include the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex and the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex. These were renovated again for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Sources: Sports Authority of India, the 1984 Resolution, SAI Annual Report 2016-17, introduction.
What are the National Games?
The National Games are India’s own multi-sport event. State teams and the Services compete for medals.
Where did they start?
They began as the All India Olympic Games of February 1924. The provisional All India Olympic Committee held that first meet.
What happened at the 38th National Games?
They ran across venues in Uttarakhand from 28 January to 14 February 2025. The Services Sports Control Board won the most medals overall. Maharashtra finished first runner-up. Haryana was second runner-up.
Who hosts the next edition?
At the closing ceremony on 14 February 2025, Meghalaya was given the 39th National Games in 2026. This is the plan as announced on that date.
Sources: Indian Olympic Association, the 1924 Games, PIB, 38th National Games closing release.
Which big leagues does India have?
Two famous leagues are the Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian Super League. One is for kabaddi and the other is for football.
What is the Pro Kabaddi League?
It began in 2014. Mashal Sports and JioStar launched it, with backing from the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India. The first season had eight teams and lasted five weeks. Player auctions were held on 20 May 2014.
What is the Indian Super League?
On 14 October 2019 PTI reported that the ISL would replace the I-League as the top tier. The I-League would stay as the second tier. The ISL season opened in Kochi on 20 October.
What was planned for promotion?
The roadmap said there would be no promotion or relegation until 2023-24. From 2024-25 it planned performance-based promotion and relegation. This was the plan as reported in 2019.
Sources: Pro Kabaddi League, about page, PTI via The Quint, 14 October 2019.
How does Khelo India fit in?
What is Khelo India?
Khelo India is the Centre’s main sports scheme. It was launched in 2017 and joined three older schemes into one.
Which schemes did it join?
It merged the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan, the Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme and the National Sports Talent Search Scheme.
What are its five pillars?
- Training centres: spot talent and guide it to professional level.
- Coaches: build the skills of coaches and support staff.
- Sports science: use science and technology to improve performance.
- Competitions: run leagues and events for regular play.
- Infrastructure: build venues for training and for events.
What has it done so far?
As at July 2026, PIB gave these figures:
- Projects: 349 new sports infrastructure projects, worth ₹3,176 crore.
- Centres: 1,067 Khelo India Centres.
- Academies: 267 academies supported.
- Athletes: 2,745 Khelo India Athletes.
How did the money grow?
| Period | Money for Khelo India |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 to 2019-20 | ₹1,756 crore for three years |
| 2020-21 | ₹328.77 crore for one year |
| 2021-22 to 2025-26 | ₹3,790.50 crore for five years |
| 2026-27 | ₹924.35 crore allocated |
Which Khelo India Games are held?
The School Games began in 2018 in New Delhi. They became the Youth Games in 2019. More than 63,000 athletes have taken part since 2018. The list kept growing.
Sources: PIB backgrounder, Khelo India vision, PIB backgrounder, 3 August 2026.
What is new in sport this year?
What changed in the 2026 Khelo India revamp?
The Union Cabinet approved an expanded scheme. It runs from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
How much money is in it?
Akashvani News reported on 1 August 2026 that the combined outlay is ₹36,441 crore. That figure covers the expanded scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations. The short form is ANSF.
What is the new pathway?
For the first time a young player gets help at every stage. The pathway links six kinds of institutions:
- National Centres of Excellence
- Khelo India Centres of Excellence
- SAI Training Centres
- Khelo India Accredited Academies
- Khelo India Centres
- Youth Sports Companies of the Armed Forces
What else is new?
The scheme adds Khelo India Feeder Schools and Utkrishta Vidyalayas. A National Coach Accreditation Board will set coaching standards. A unified digital platform will hold athlete data, venues, contests and funding.
Who are the Emerging Khelo India Athletes?
This new category widens the athlete pool nearly ten-fold. It feeds talent upward to Khelo India and then to TOPS.
Sources: Akashvani News, 1 August 2026, PIB backgrounder, the revamp.
What are TOPS and KIRTI?
Both are talent schemes of the Ministry. TOPS backs top athletes. KIRTI finds children with talent.
What is TOPS?
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme started in September 2014. It aims to improve results at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. A revamp in April 2018 added a dedicated technical support team.
What does a TOPS athlete get?
Support covers foreign training, events abroad, camps and special equipment. A stipend is a fixed monthly payment. A Core Athlete gets ₹50,000 a month. A Development Group athlete gets ₹25,000.
How many athletes does TOPS back?
As at April 2026 it backed 51 Core Athletes, 52 Para Core Athletes and 130 Development Athletes. PIB says TOPS helped India’s medal wins at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
What is KIRTI?
KIRTI means Khelo India Rising Talent Identification. It looks for talent among children aged 9 to 18. It uses assessment centres and tools such as artificial intelligence. It has 174 centres across 3 States and Union Territories. It has completed 1,87,921 assessments.
What are the targets and the budget?
KIRTI aims at a top 10 sporting nation by 2036 and a top 5 by 2047. The Budget 2026-27 gave ₹500 crore to a sports goods manufacturing drive. The Ministry’s allocation was ₹1,219 crore in 2013-14.
Sources: PIB backgrounder, TOPS and KIRTI, PIB backgrounder, TOPS athletes.
How has India done at recent games?
Medal counts have risen at some games and dipped at others. The newest is the Commonwealth Games 2026.
What are the recent Olympic and Paralympic counts?
| Games | Olympics medals | Paralympics medals |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 2 | 4 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 7 | 19 |
| 2024 Paris | 6 | 29 |
What about the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games?
India won 57 Asian Games medals in 2014 and 69 in 2018. In 2023 at Hangzhou it won 107, its highest ever. At the Commonwealth Games it won 64 in 2014, 66 in 2018 and 61 in 2022.
How did India do in Glasgow in 2026?
The Games ran from 23 July to 2 August 2026, with 74 countries. India finished fourth with 39 medals: 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze. The contingent had 124 athletes.
Who stood out?
Indian boxers won 10 medals, including seven golds. That is the best by any country in the sport at one Commonwealth Games. Mirabai Chanu won her third straight title. Asmita Dey took India’s first judo gold. Neeraj Chopra won silver in the javelin.
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Sources: PIB backgrounder, Commonwealth Games 2026, PIB backgrounder, Olympic counts.
How do I revise sport in India in one minute?
What should I remember about the sports of India?
What are the key points?
- Three bodies: the Ministry decides, SAI builds, and the IOA sends.
- IOA: formed in 1927, after the All India Olympic Games of February 1924.
- SAI: set up in 1984, to carry forward the legacy of the 1982 Asian Games.
- National game: none. The 2012 reply said so.
- Leagues: Pro Kabaddi began in 2014. The ISL became the top tier from 2019.
- Khelo India: launched in 2017. The new outlay is ₹36,441 crore.
- TOPS: Core Athletes get ₹50,000 a month.
- Games 2026: fourth place in Glasgow, with 39 medals.
Sources: Sports Authority of India, the founding year, Indian Olympic Association, the 1927 founding, PIB backgrounder, key figures. Also: Akashvani News, the Cabinet decision.
What traps do examiners set on sport in India? Exam practice
What do examiners test about the sports of India?
What are the traps?
- Who does what. Policy sits with the Ministry. Training sits with SAI. The Olympic team goes through the IOA.
- 1924 or 1927. The All India Olympic Games came first, in 1924. The IOA was formed later, in 1927.
- 1982 or 1984. The Asian Games came in 1982. SAI followed two years later.
- National game. Do not write hockey. The Centre said no sport has been declared.
- Pro Kabaddi year. The league began in 2014, not in 2013-14.
- Two money figures. The ₹36,441 crore is a five-year outlay. The ₹4,479.88 crore is the Ministry’s budget for one year.
- Two stipends. The top group gets ₹50,000 a month. The junior group gets half that.
Sources: Pro Kabaddi League, the 2014 start, PIB backgrounder, the Budget figures, PIB backgrounder, the outlay. Also: Sports Authority of India, the twin aims.
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Questions to think through
Why does the IOA not pick the players for each sport?
By 1946-47 the IOA only sent the team. Each sport’s federation picked and trained its own players. The IOA handles the journey and the stay.
Why did the All India Olympic Games come before the IOA?
A provisional committee held the Games in February 1924. The IOA was formed three years later, in 1927. The Games showed that a standing body was needed.
Why are there two different money figures for sport in 2026?
The ₹36,441 crore is a five-year outlay for Khelo India and ANSF. The ₹4,479.88 crore is the Ministry’s budget for the single year 2026-27.
Why does TOPS pay two different stipends?
TOPS has two groups. Core Athletes are the top athletes and get ₹50,000. The Development Group is for juniors and gets ₹25,000.
Sources: Indian Olympic Association, the role change, Akashvani News, the outlay report, PIB backgrounder, the stipends. Also: PIB backgrounder, the Ministry budget.
MCQ on the Sports of India
Test the Olympic body, the year SAI began, the national game, the 2026 outlay, the TOPS stipend and the KIRTI age group. Read the explanation after each answer.
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