Pension to Sports Persons

          The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Jitendra Singh has said that there is already a Scheme titled “Scheme of Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons” under which medal winners in  Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Cups/World Championships (in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines) and Para-Olympic Games, after they attain the age of 30 years or retire from active sports, whichever is later, are eligible for monthly pension at following rates:

S. No.	Category of meritorious sportspersons	Rate of Pension (Rs./per month)
1	Medalists at the Olympic Games	10000
2	Gold medalists at the World Cup/World Championships in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines	8000
3	Silver and Bronze medalists at the World Cup/World Championships in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines	7000
4	Gold medalists of the Asian/Commonwealth Games	7000
5	Silver and Bronze  medalists of the Asian/Commonwealth Games	6000
6	Gold Medalists of Para-Olympic Games	5000
7	Silver medalists of Para-Olympic Games	4000
8	Bronze Medalists of Para-Olympic Games	3000

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Singh said, at present, 620 Sportspersons are getting pension under the “Scheme of Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons” on monthly basis.

The Minister said, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has a Scheme of National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons, which provides for ex-gratia financial assistance to outstanding sportspersons of yesteryears, now living in indigent circumstances, whose annual income is less than Rs. 2 lakh for medical treatment etc. The funds from the National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons can be utilized for following proposes: 

(i) to provide suitable assistance to outstanding sportspersons now living in indigent sportspersons;

(ii) to provide suitable assistance to outstanding sportspersons injured during the period of their training for competitions and also during the competitions, depending on the nature of the injury;

(iii) to provide suitable assistance to outstanding sportspersons who bring glory to the country in the international field and who are disabled as an after-effect of their strenuous training or otherwise and to provide them assistance for medical treatment;

(iv) to administrator and apply the funds of the Fund to promote the welfare of the sportspersons generally in order to alleviate distress among them and their dependents in indigent circumstances;

(v) to administer and apply the funds of the Fund for active sportspersons individually or collectively as a group;

(vi)  to encourage and provide assistance in cash or kind (sports equipments, kit, etc) to budding sportspersons, in their pursuit for achieving excellence in sports;

 (vii) to do all other things which are incidental to the above objectives.

          Shri Jitendra Singh said, quantum of assistance admissible from the National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons is as follows:

(i) Assistance to sportspersons living in indigent circumstances: A lumpsum ex-gratia financial assistance may be granted to an outstanding sportsperson now living in indigent circumstances, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5 lakh.

 (ii) Assistance for injuries sustained during training for and participation in international competitions: A lumpsum financial assistance to an outstanding sportsperson or his/her family may be granted under the Scheme:

(a) in case of sustaining a fatal injury during training  for, or participation in, an international competition, subject  to a maximum of Rs. 5.00 lakh;

(b) in case of sustaining injury other than a fatal injury, subject to a maximum of Rs.2.00 lakh provided that the assistance shall in no case be less than Rs. 10,000/-.

(iii) Assistance to Families of Outstanding Sportspersons :  A lumpsum financial assistance, not exceeding Rs. 2.00 lakh in each case, may also be provided to the families of outstanding sportspersons in indigent circumstances.

(iv) Assistance for Medical Treatment:   Financial assistance not exceeding Rs. 2.00 lakh  may also be provided for medical treatment of an outstanding sportsperson in indigent circumstances.

(v) Assistance to Sports Promoters:  Lumpsum financial assistance, not exceeding Rs. 50,000/- may be provided to referees, coaches and umpires, who were eminent, but are not well off and are in indigent circumstances.

The Minister said, the Scheme of National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons also has a clause under which the Chairperson of the General Committee of National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons has the discretionary powers under which the Chairperson may sanction assistance in deserving cases even to those who, technically, are non-eligible, depending upon the facts and circumstances of each case. The Chairperson will have the discretion to decide the quantum of assistance.

          All schemes of the Ministry and the Sports Authority of India are inclusive schemes and are equally applicable to women sportspersons. Further, for encouraging sports among women, sports competitions are held at district, state and national levels under the scheme of National Championship for Women, presently merged with the scheme of Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA), the Minister added.

***