Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has set an ambitious target of securing ₹1,000–1,200 crore under the Centre’s Khelo India programme during 2026–31, with the administration preparing a five-year roadmap aimed at expanding sports infrastructure, strengthening talent identification and creating a structured sports development ecosystem across the Union Territory.
The roadmap was presented at the first meeting of the UT-Level Coordination Committee on Khelo India chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, who directed all Deputy Commissioners to prepare comprehensive district sports plans and submit them by September 15 to enable the UT to avail maximum assistance under the scheme.
Dulloo said districts should utilise the revamped Khelo India programme to create quality sports infrastructure while ensuring optimal use of existing facilities. He stressed the need to provide young athletes with better access to training, coaching and exposure opportunities and called for a coordinated effort to strengthen the sports ecosystem from the grassroots to the elite level.
Officials said the roadmap has been prepared by the Youth Services and Sports Department to position Jammu and Kashmir for a larger share of funding available under the national programme, which carries a total outlay of ₹28,489 crore for the 2026–31 period.
Presenting the strategy, Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, said the roadmap seeks to address sporting requirements across all levels, from school participation and grassroots development to training elite athletes capable of competing at national and international events. He urged districts and departments to proactively prepare proposals so that the UT can make full use of the funding opportunities available under the scheme.
According to officials, the national Khelo India outlay is distributed across multiple intervention areas, including training facilities, sports infrastructure, strategic sports assets, talent identification, competitions, coaching development, sports technology and fitness promotion. The largest allocation of ₹10,586 crore has been earmarked for Khelo India Training Facilities, followed by ₹4,963 crore for strengthening strategic sports assets and ₹4,866 crore for sports infrastructure linked to medal-winning disciplines.
The roadmap places particular emphasis on grassroots talent identification and athlete development, with the administration targeting a ten-fold increase in the number of athletes receiving support. It proposes the use of the Khel SETU platform to map sporting talent across schools and universities and seeks to address shortages of physical education teachers through training and capacity-building programmes.
Officials said the strategy also envisages the introduction of a common four-tier coaching framework and systematic training of local coaches, community trainers and physical education teachers through specialised programmes. Measures to promote the development of women coaches at local, national and international levels have also been proposed.
Under the infrastructure component, the roadmap calls for the establishment of Olympic Training Centres, the upgradation of existing facilities into National Centres of Excellence and the expansion of Khelo India Centres. It also proposes the introduction of Khelo India Utkarsha Vidyalayas and feeder schools to create a structured pathway for athletes from grassroots participation to high-performance sport.
The plan further incorporates technology-based interventions to improve talent scouting, athlete monitoring and service delivery. These include an AI-based sports talent identification and athlete performance analytics platform and an AI-enabled sports infrastructure management system proposed in collaboration with NIT Srinagar, as well as a digital youth health screening and preventive care system to be developed with IIT Jammu.
Officials said the roadmap aims to combine infrastructure development, professional coaching, sports science and technology to create a sustainable pipeline of athletes capable of representing Jammu and Kashmir and the country at national and international competitions.
