Sports ministry to give more incentives to athletes, coaches ahead of Rio Olympics: Report

New Delhi: With the Rio Olympics to be held in Brazil next year, India's sports ministry has decided to come up with a variety of incentives for athletes, coaches and National Sports Federations (NSFs).

According to a report in the Times of India, these incentives have been kept in view to boost the nation's build-up for next year's Rio Olympics and beyond.

Some of the perks that the sportspersons will get are allocations for national championships, improved salaries of chief coaches and the facility of air travel, which has been extended.

A revision had been announced by sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on Tuesday. Part of that revision includes the amount for senior, junior and sub-junior competitions has been increased to Rs 5 lakh, Rs 7 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively.

Further reports claim that the government has also decided to sanction air travel for senior players and coaches for a distance beyond 500 km.

Meanwhile, the junior players have been allowed to travel by air for a distance beyond 1, 200 km in economy class.

Earlier, air travel wasn't a part of any plan. Trains were the main source, as senior players would travel by AC II tier and junior and sub-junior players would travel by sleeper class for domestic competitions.

Sub-junior players will now have the opportunity to travel in AC III tiers.

Sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated that air travel has been allowed for coaching camps and competitions held in north-east region of the nation.

“Air travel has been allowed for coaching camps and competitions held in the North-East Region. Similarly, the athletes from the North-East region will be allowed air travel from their residence-coaching camps to and from Kolkata,“ Sonowal stated to the Times of India.

Meanwhile, salaries of chief coaches has been increased drastically.

This is a big bonanza for athletes and its implementation now will be key as the growth of sports in every corner and welfare of sportspersons seems to be a key factor for the government.