2 medals, 24 athletes: Uproar as Haryana gets only ~66 crore in Khelo India funds
Sumedha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Gurugram, August 1
Even as the country is celebrating three Olympic medals won by its athletes (two of which have been won by sportspersons from Haryana), the sports fraternity and Opposition have lambasted the Centre for the disparity in fund allocation under the Khelo India Scheme.
Haryana, which accounts for around 2 per cent of the country’s population, has sent the maximum number of 24 athletes to Olympics. However, under the Khelo India scheme, an amount of just Rs 66 crore has been allocated to Haryana, while Gujarat, which has sent only two athletes to the Olympics, managed to get Rs 426 crore. Similarly, UP got Rs 438 crore, even as only six athletes from the state are representing the country in Paris.
Talking to The Tribune, Haryana LoP and former CM Bhupinder Hooda said: “The funds allocated to the state are grossly inadequate. Haryana is sports cradle of the country that has produced the best sportsmen and made the nation proud. A medal belongs to no party or state, it belongs to the entire nation, so there should be no disparity in the allocation of funds.”
Taking a dig at the BJP-led Centre, Hooda said: “During its regime in Haryana, Congress worked on nurturing sports talent from a young age, giving athletes the best infrastructure and securing their future by schemes like “Padak se pad tak”, but the current government doesn’t care about sports. Stadiums are in a poor shape and lack of funds is impacting sports.”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a celebrated international player of the state said: “You have seen what happens to sportspersons in Haryana now. The entire nation saw our condition. Not just funds but a lot of other disparities are also faced by us.”
Haryana is not the only state that has flagged the disparity in fund allocation. Punjab, which has sent 19 athletes to Olympics, has also openly voiced concern over the disparity. Punjab LoP and senior Congress leader Partap Bajwa took to X to question it.
“The Modi government’s skewed allocation of funds under the Khelo India Scheme is a glaring example of injustice. Punjab and Haryana, the heartlands of Indian sports, were given a meagre Rs 78 crore and Rs 66 crore, respectively, despite sending 43 athletes to the Paris Olympics. This step-motherly treatment undermines our sporting potential and regional talent,” Bajwa wrote.
It may be noted that a similar disparity was reported in 2023 when during Asian games in China, 655 athletes were sent from India, which included 89 from Haryana and 73 from Punjab. While athletes from both states got a majority of medals, they had been allotted Rs 88.89 crore and Rs 93.71 crore, respectively. Uttar Pradesh had got over Rs 500 crore back then as well.
Hooda slams govt
A medal doesn’t belong to any party or state, it belongs to the entire nation. There should be no disparity in the allocation of funds. —Bhupinder Hooda, Former Haryana CM
