ITV

Category: Sports

  • Corporate funding vital for sports development: KPMG-CII

    Corporate funding vital for sports development: KPMG-CII

    MUMBAI: The global sports market comprising infrastructure, events, sponsorship, training and manufacturing and retail of sports goods is estimated at Rs 37.8–44.2 lakh crore (USD 600–700 billion), accounting for approximately one per cent of the global GDP.

    According to the report titled, “The Business of Sports” launched today by KPMG in India in association with CII during the summit on “Business of Sports and Entertainment”, over the years sports has evolved as a noticeable sector for all economies, presenting myriad careers as well as business opportunities. Further, sports contributes significantly towards improving the overall health and well-being of a country. Interesting trends driving the global sports sector highlighted in this report are:

    • Technology has gradually made its presence felt through applications across the entire value chain of sports business

    • Like in other industries, social media is acting as a game changer in the sports sector too. A large number of sportspersons also use the medium to connect with their fans and endorse their brand affiliations

    • Amongst the devoted sports enthusiasts globally, 45 per cent prefer viewing sports content online

    • There has been an upsurge in global women viewership for sports events. In India too, women are increasingly comprising a significant portion of the viewership pie

    Shrinivas Dempo, chairman, CII summit, and CMD, Dempo Shipbuilding & Engineering said, “The last 5-7 years have been the most dynamic for the sports industry in India with some fundamental changes. Sports not only provides an active branding and marketing opportunity to investors, but has also created value for fans all across. Addition of various sporting leagues in India have invited tremendous support and presence of corporate sector.”

    While presenting an overview of the global and Indian sports market, the report explores and assesses the sports ecosystem in India, identifies the various stakeholders concerned and addresses their specific issues and challenges while attempting to highlight the common grounds between all stakeholders to enhance the development of sports in India.

    According to Jaideep Ghosh, partner and head, transport, leisure and sports, KPMG, in India, “In February 2016, the government accorded an industry status to sports infrastructure, which is expected to attract investments from the private sector, thereby not limiting its role to just corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and non-profit organisations.”

    Increasing viewership, sponsorship and participation in sports other than cricket, a rising number of sports start-ups and the growth in rural viewership numbers are key trends driving the growth of this sector in India. The report further highlights encouraging aspects of sports landscape in India, as below:

    • Indian sports viewership (TV) numbers grew 30 per cent over the two year period between 2014 and 2015

    • In 2015, the Indian sports sponsorship market grew 6.7 per cent y-o-y to INR 5,190 crore

    • Sports consumption in India is on the rise with leagues as well international sports garnering strong support across multiple platforms. While India is a latecomer, the concept is rapidly covering ground. Of the 11 operational leagues, nine were launched during 2013–16 and two more are planned in 2016

    • Regional games packaged in interesting league formats have been successful in garnering rural viewership as well

    The report identifies key issues facing the sports ecosystem in India across segments of governance, sports events, and infrastructure development among others, while offering recommendations to tackle these problems. It also presents a comprehensive view of the governance structure of sports in India, outlining the roles and responsibilities of major governing entities.

    “India is facing a moment of truth after its performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. To initiate a strong foundation for the development of sports in India, the country needs to focus on three major aspects — improving governance and infrastructure, building a sporting culture and deploying a focused approach to winning medals,” added Jaideep Ghosh.

    The early success achieved by league-based events across multiple sports indicates a strong potential for Indians to consume sports other than cricket. This growing popularity of the league format in India resonates across the report. The league culture is still in its nascent stages in India, in comparison to the U.S. and Europe. IPL established a successful model for packaging and marketing. 2014 saw the emergence of some potentially successful leagues, including PKL, ISL, IPTL and CTL. However, the business of leagues requires high investments and has long gestation periods. In order to drive team success in leagues, the report suggests significant focus on fan engagement and marketing, celebrity influence, geographic location and better overall management apart from on field performance.

    India has a long journey ahead on its path to developing a strong sports culture. It needs to begin at the base, and that is what will build the future.

    KPMG in India, the Indian member firm of KPMG International, strives to provide rapid, performance-based, industry-focused and technology-enabled services, which reflects a shared knowledge of global and local industries.

  • Corporate funding vital for sports development: KPMG-CII

    Corporate funding vital for sports development: KPMG-CII

    MUMBAI: The global sports market comprising infrastructure, events, sponsorship, training and manufacturing and retail of sports goods is estimated at Rs 37.8–44.2 lakh crore (USD 600–700 billion), accounting for approximately one per cent of the global GDP.

    According to the report titled, “The Business of Sports” launched today by KPMG in India in association with CII during the summit on “Business of Sports and Entertainment”, over the years sports has evolved as a noticeable sector for all economies, presenting myriad careers as well as business opportunities. Further, sports contributes significantly towards improving the overall health and well-being of a country. Interesting trends driving the global sports sector highlighted in this report are:

    • Technology has gradually made its presence felt through applications across the entire value chain of sports business

    • Like in other industries, social media is acting as a game changer in the sports sector too. A large number of sportspersons also use the medium to connect with their fans and endorse their brand affiliations

    • Amongst the devoted sports enthusiasts globally, 45 per cent prefer viewing sports content online

    • There has been an upsurge in global women viewership for sports events. In India too, women are increasingly comprising a significant portion of the viewership pie

    Shrinivas Dempo, chairman, CII summit, and CMD, Dempo Shipbuilding & Engineering said, “The last 5-7 years have been the most dynamic for the sports industry in India with some fundamental changes. Sports not only provides an active branding and marketing opportunity to investors, but has also created value for fans all across. Addition of various sporting leagues in India have invited tremendous support and presence of corporate sector.”

    While presenting an overview of the global and Indian sports market, the report explores and assesses the sports ecosystem in India, identifies the various stakeholders concerned and addresses their specific issues and challenges while attempting to highlight the common grounds between all stakeholders to enhance the development of sports in India.

    According to Jaideep Ghosh, partner and head, transport, leisure and sports, KPMG, in India, “In February 2016, the government accorded an industry status to sports infrastructure, which is expected to attract investments from the private sector, thereby not limiting its role to just corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and non-profit organisations.”

    Increasing viewership, sponsorship and participation in sports other than cricket, a rising number of sports start-ups and the growth in rural viewership numbers are key trends driving the growth of this sector in India. The report further highlights encouraging aspects of sports landscape in India, as below:

    • Indian sports viewership (TV) numbers grew 30 per cent over the two year period between 2014 and 2015

    • In 2015, the Indian sports sponsorship market grew 6.7 per cent y-o-y to INR 5,190 crore

    • Sports consumption in India is on the rise with leagues as well international sports garnering strong support across multiple platforms. While India is a latecomer, the concept is rapidly covering ground. Of the 11 operational leagues, nine were launched during 2013–16 and two more are planned in 2016

    • Regional games packaged in interesting league formats have been successful in garnering rural viewership as well

    The report identifies key issues facing the sports ecosystem in India across segments of governance, sports events, and infrastructure development among others, while offering recommendations to tackle these problems. It also presents a comprehensive view of the governance structure of sports in India, outlining the roles and responsibilities of major governing entities.

    “India is facing a moment of truth after its performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. To initiate a strong foundation for the development of sports in India, the country needs to focus on three major aspects — improving governance and infrastructure, building a sporting culture and deploying a focused approach to winning medals,” added Jaideep Ghosh.

    The early success achieved by league-based events across multiple sports indicates a strong potential for Indians to consume sports other than cricket. This growing popularity of the league format in India resonates across the report. The league culture is still in its nascent stages in India, in comparison to the U.S. and Europe. IPL established a successful model for packaging and marketing. 2014 saw the emergence of some potentially successful leagues, including PKL, ISL, IPTL and CTL. However, the business of leagues requires high investments and has long gestation periods. In order to drive team success in leagues, the report suggests significant focus on fan engagement and marketing, celebrity influence, geographic location and better overall management apart from on field performance.

    India has a long journey ahead on its path to developing a strong sports culture. It needs to begin at the base, and that is what will build the future.

    KPMG in India, the Indian member firm of KPMG International, strives to provide rapid, performance-based, industry-focused and technology-enabled services, which reflects a shared knowledge of global and local industries.

  • Jana-BCCI tie up; to award bankable player from 22 Sept

    Jana-BCCI tie up; to award bankable player from 22 Sept

    BANGALORE: Janalakshmi Financial Services to award ‘Jana Bankable Player’, a People’s Choice award to be decided through tweets and online votes. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tied up with the financial services firm as an associate sponsor.

    Jana will be the official financial services partner of the Indian cricket team besides grounds right, where the financial services firm would have visibility on the field. The agreement also gives Jana benefits of prominence in stadium branding and on-ground advertising for 68 matches in three years across the three formats.

    Ajay Shirke, honorary secretary of BCCI, said, “I am delighted to announce this three-year long association as it further strengthens our belief in India Cricket.”

    During the upcoming season with New Zealand and England cricket series announced, the marquee award will be given away to the most dependable player at the end of every match during the series. Multiple engagement opportunities have been specially created for fans to actively participate and vote for the ‘Jana Bankable Player’. The audience can vote for the bankable player through twitter using #JanaBankable hashtag or simply voting on Jan web site.

    The award will be given to the most bankable player who shows consistency and performance through the match as decided by the audience votes and commentators analysis. The winner of the award per match will be receiving a cheque of Rs 1 lakh for the upcoming New Zealand series starting on 22 September.

    Additionally, the voting fans also stand a chance to win tickets and witness the next match live from the stadium.

    “The organisation strives to be as dependable to our customers as a player is to their team,” said V.S.Radhakrishnan, CEO & MD of Janalakshmi.

    JFS is the largest and the fastest growing Micro Finance Institution (MFI) in India, that recently has been granted in-principle approval to convert itself into a Small Finance Bank.

  • Jana-BCCI tie up; to award bankable player from 22 Sept

    Jana-BCCI tie up; to award bankable player from 22 Sept

    BANGALORE: Janalakshmi Financial Services to award ‘Jana Bankable Player’, a People’s Choice award to be decided through tweets and online votes. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tied up with the financial services firm as an associate sponsor.

    Jana will be the official financial services partner of the Indian cricket team besides grounds right, where the financial services firm would have visibility on the field. The agreement also gives Jana benefits of prominence in stadium branding and on-ground advertising for 68 matches in three years across the three formats.

    Ajay Shirke, honorary secretary of BCCI, said, “I am delighted to announce this three-year long association as it further strengthens our belief in India Cricket.”

    During the upcoming season with New Zealand and England cricket series announced, the marquee award will be given away to the most dependable player at the end of every match during the series. Multiple engagement opportunities have been specially created for fans to actively participate and vote for the ‘Jana Bankable Player’. The audience can vote for the bankable player through twitter using #JanaBankable hashtag or simply voting on Jan web site.

    The award will be given to the most bankable player who shows consistency and performance through the match as decided by the audience votes and commentators analysis. The winner of the award per match will be receiving a cheque of Rs 1 lakh for the upcoming New Zealand series starting on 22 September.

    Additionally, the voting fans also stand a chance to win tickets and witness the next match live from the stadium.

    “The organisation strives to be as dependable to our customers as a player is to their team,” said V.S.Radhakrishnan, CEO & MD of Janalakshmi.

    JFS is the largest and the fastest growing Micro Finance Institution (MFI) in India, that recently has been granted in-principle approval to convert itself into a Small Finance Bank.

  • Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    MUMBAI: It’s the business of sports! The countdown to the media rights of what is arguably India’s most premium sports property, the Vivo IPL, has begun with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the timeline of the bidding process. The BCCI has made the IPL rights an invitation tender process with the document being made available for purchase from today (19 September) at a purchase price of $10,000.

    Three bunches of media rights are being made available: domestic Indian subcontinent TV rights for all the 10 seasons (2018-2027), domestic digital telecast rights, and the rest of the world (RoW) rights — either as a whole package or as territory groupings – each for five seasons (2018-2022). Bidders have also been permitted to make their offers in any combination of the above three rights. The digital rights entail a five-minute delayed telecast.

    Non-news TV broadcasters will be in a position to bid for the TV rights. However, the field has been thrown open to broadcasters, mobile operators and internet operators for both the digital and RoW rights, with marketing agencies also being permitted to throw in the hat into the ring for the latter.

    The bids can be made singly or as a consortium, as long as the person doing is fit and proper, meets financial standing and BCCI suitability standards criteria, and has no litigation with the cricket body, the BCCI announced.

    At the press conference in Delhi, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said:
    “IPL is the fastest, most popular cricket league and also the sixth most popular sports league in the world. We want it to be a very transparent process. It is going to be bid- but a most historic. In the last nine years, what we have seen is that the world has recognized it has the top most league. BCCI has been proud to start the league which others have followed.”

    BCCI CEO Rahul Johri who made a presentation on the tender process said that it will be two tiered, based on eligibility and on the financial commitment. Bidders will have to make their submissions in two envelopes: Envelope A which will detail the eligibility and envelope B which will contain the financial bid and signed media rights agreement. Financial Bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. He added that the organization was under no obligation to accept the highest financial bid and that it could change the process at any time at its discretion.

    Johri pointed out that potential bidders will have an opportunity to seek clarifications till 4 October, with 18 October being the last date for purchasing the tender, and bid submissions will close at 9:30 am on 25 October. Financial bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. The BCCI is expected to announce the winners of the rights the same day.

    For the RoW, the BCCI has broken up the rights into territory groups, almost like the league it runs. Group A broadly consists of Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Central and south America, New Zealand, and Israel. Group B consists of middle east and north Africa while Group C covers the whole of South Africa. Group D includes sub-Saharan Africa, Group E covers the UK and Ireland and British territories and Group F, the whole of the US.

    Media observers expect a tough fight between current TV rights holder Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India – which recently acquired the Zee Network’s TEN Sports brand – and digital rights holder Star India for the rights.

    Other bidders who could be contenders include telcos like Reliance Jio and Airtel. The next 10 years rights of the IPL are expected to bring in anywhere between $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion for the BCCI.

  • Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    MUMBAI: It’s the business of sports! The countdown to the media rights of what is arguably India’s most premium sports property, the Vivo IPL, has begun with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the timeline of the bidding process. The BCCI has made the IPL rights an invitation tender process with the document being made available for purchase from today (19 September) at a purchase price of $10,000.

    Three bunches of media rights are being made available: domestic Indian subcontinent TV rights for all the 10 seasons (2018-2027), domestic digital telecast rights, and the rest of the world (RoW) rights — either as a whole package or as territory groupings – each for five seasons (2018-2022). Bidders have also been permitted to make their offers in any combination of the above three rights. The digital rights entail a five-minute delayed telecast.

    Non-news TV broadcasters will be in a position to bid for the TV rights. However, the field has been thrown open to broadcasters, mobile operators and internet operators for both the digital and RoW rights, with marketing agencies also being permitted to throw in the hat into the ring for the latter.

    The bids can be made singly or as a consortium, as long as the person doing is fit and proper, meets financial standing and BCCI suitability standards criteria, and has no litigation with the cricket body, the BCCI announced.

    At the press conference in Delhi, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said:
    “IPL is the fastest, most popular cricket league and also the sixth most popular sports league in the world. We want it to be a very transparent process. It is going to be bid- but a most historic. In the last nine years, what we have seen is that the world has recognized it has the top most league. BCCI has been proud to start the league which others have followed.”

    BCCI CEO Rahul Johri who made a presentation on the tender process said that it will be two tiered, based on eligibility and on the financial commitment. Bidders will have to make their submissions in two envelopes: Envelope A which will detail the eligibility and envelope B which will contain the financial bid and signed media rights agreement. Financial Bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. He added that the organization was under no obligation to accept the highest financial bid and that it could change the process at any time at its discretion.

    Johri pointed out that potential bidders will have an opportunity to seek clarifications till 4 October, with 18 October being the last date for purchasing the tender, and bid submissions will close at 9:30 am on 25 October. Financial bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. The BCCI is expected to announce the winners of the rights the same day.

    For the RoW, the BCCI has broken up the rights into territory groups, almost like the league it runs. Group A broadly consists of Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Central and south America, New Zealand, and Israel. Group B consists of middle east and north Africa while Group C covers the whole of South Africa. Group D includes sub-Saharan Africa, Group E covers the UK and Ireland and British territories and Group F, the whole of the US.

    Media observers expect a tough fight between current TV rights holder Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India – which recently acquired the Zee Network’s TEN Sports brand – and digital rights holder Star India for the rights.

    Other bidders who could be contenders include telcos like Reliance Jio and Airtel. The next 10 years rights of the IPL are expected to bring in anywhere between $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion for the BCCI.

  • SPN to broadcast the Karnataka Premier League 2016

    SPN to broadcast the Karnataka Premier League 2016

    MUMBAI: The sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) will broadcast the intra state-level cricket tournament, the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2016. After three successful years of broadcast, the network will be telecasting the tournament for the fourth year now. The opening game between the Namma Shivamogga and the Hubli Tigers on 17 September 2016 will telecast on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD at9.30 am.

    KPL is an Indian Twenty20 cricket league established by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and was started in August 2009. The tournament this year is scheduled to be held in two legs, the first in Hubli from 17 to 26 September 2016 and the second in Mysore from28 September to 2 October 2016. The teams of the tournament have been permitted to retain a maximum of four players each ahead of the player auction that was held in August. This edition of KPL will see the participation of eight teams – Bijapur Bulls, Belgavi Panthers, Bellary Tuskers, Hubli Tigers, Mangalore United, Mysuru Warriors, Namma Shivamogga and Rock Stars, which boast of some great talent. Some of the top seeds of Indian cricket like Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, KC Carriapa representing the Bijapur Bulls, the current reigning champions will be seen fighting it out on the field to retain the title for their team. Looking at their performance in the past seasons of KPL, a lot of expectations are riding on talent like Stuart Binny and KL Rahul as well. Upcoming talent like Sreenath Aravind, Kranthi Kumar and Mohammed Taha also form an integral part of the KPL and are players to watch out for. Apart from this, adding to the glam quotient to the tournament this year will be cricketer and reality TV star, NC Aiyappa, who is a part of the Celebrity Rockstars team.

    The consumption of cricket as a sport in India is the highest compared to all the other sports. The sports cluster of SPN has been a pioneer in introducing and popularizing the league format of sports in the country. In its short history, KPL has managed to help unearth and develop promising cricketers from the provincial districts of India. With some young and upcoming talent battling it out on the field with great passion and aggression, the tournament is expected to get only bigger this year, making KPL 2016 one of the most awaited cricket leagues to watch out for in the near future.

    Sony Pictures Networks Distribution and Sports president Rajesh Kaul said, “KPL started as an experimental format for us and over the past three years it has emerged into a catalyst for the revival of local cricketing leagues. The tournament last year saw a tremendous rise in viewership within the Karnataka belt and we are ready to bring the new season to our audience. With some of the top names from the cricket fraternity participating in the league this year, KPL 2016 is one of the most awaited cricket leagues to look forward to. The league has grown massively and is here to stay in the long run. Promoting league cricket at the grass-root level has been one of our key focus areas and we are positive about the performance this year. We look forward to a great KPL 2016.”

  • SPN to broadcast the Karnataka Premier League 2016

    SPN to broadcast the Karnataka Premier League 2016

    MUMBAI: The sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) will broadcast the intra state-level cricket tournament, the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2016. After three successful years of broadcast, the network will be telecasting the tournament for the fourth year now. The opening game between the Namma Shivamogga and the Hubli Tigers on 17 September 2016 will telecast on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD at9.30 am.

    KPL is an Indian Twenty20 cricket league established by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and was started in August 2009. The tournament this year is scheduled to be held in two legs, the first in Hubli from 17 to 26 September 2016 and the second in Mysore from28 September to 2 October 2016. The teams of the tournament have been permitted to retain a maximum of four players each ahead of the player auction that was held in August. This edition of KPL will see the participation of eight teams – Bijapur Bulls, Belgavi Panthers, Bellary Tuskers, Hubli Tigers, Mangalore United, Mysuru Warriors, Namma Shivamogga and Rock Stars, which boast of some great talent. Some of the top seeds of Indian cricket like Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, KC Carriapa representing the Bijapur Bulls, the current reigning champions will be seen fighting it out on the field to retain the title for their team. Looking at their performance in the past seasons of KPL, a lot of expectations are riding on talent like Stuart Binny and KL Rahul as well. Upcoming talent like Sreenath Aravind, Kranthi Kumar and Mohammed Taha also form an integral part of the KPL and are players to watch out for. Apart from this, adding to the glam quotient to the tournament this year will be cricketer and reality TV star, NC Aiyappa, who is a part of the Celebrity Rockstars team.

    The consumption of cricket as a sport in India is the highest compared to all the other sports. The sports cluster of SPN has been a pioneer in introducing and popularizing the league format of sports in the country. In its short history, KPL has managed to help unearth and develop promising cricketers from the provincial districts of India. With some young and upcoming talent battling it out on the field with great passion and aggression, the tournament is expected to get only bigger this year, making KPL 2016 one of the most awaited cricket leagues to watch out for in the near future.

    Sony Pictures Networks Distribution and Sports president Rajesh Kaul said, “KPL started as an experimental format for us and over the past three years it has emerged into a catalyst for the revival of local cricketing leagues. The tournament last year saw a tremendous rise in viewership within the Karnataka belt and we are ready to bring the new season to our audience. With some of the top names from the cricket fraternity participating in the league this year, KPL 2016 is one of the most awaited cricket leagues to look forward to. The league has grown massively and is here to stay in the long run. Promoting league cricket at the grass-root level has been one of our key focus areas and we are positive about the performance this year. We look forward to a great KPL 2016.”

  • Catch ’em young: Ministry hunts for sports talent

    Catch ’em young: Ministry hunts for sports talent

    NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry is to set up a Talent Search Portal shortly to give a fair opportunity to talented children from every nook and corner of the country to pursue their dreams of achieving excellence in sports. Jolted by the poor performance of India at the Rio Olympics, the ministry had already begun a process to examine India’s performance.

    The plan is to target talented children of eight years and above.
    Efforts will be made to involve National Sports Federations, corporate houses and other stake-holders in the programme.

    Sports Minister Vijay Goel said in a statement that details of the performance and potential of a child including video and photographs could be uploaded on the portal by children, their parents, relatives, teachers and others on the portal. A format will be available on the portal to capture the key details of the child.

    After due scrutiny, children with potential will be given an opportunity to appear for a battery of tests which could be conducted at the nearest Sports Authority of India Centre and others. Those who pass will be admitted to the training centres of SAI.

    The ministry will also persuade the state governments and others to admit some of such children in their centres. Such talented children who are not able to leave their current places of residence for any reason may be offered a scholarship to help them pursue excellence in sports.

    The portal will allow talented children to stake their claim for support including admission to sports training centres from the comforts of their homes and will simplify procedures. It will be particularly beneficial to the disadvantaged sections of the society.

  • Catch ’em young: Ministry hunts for sports talent

    Catch ’em young: Ministry hunts for sports talent

    NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry is to set up a Talent Search Portal shortly to give a fair opportunity to talented children from every nook and corner of the country to pursue their dreams of achieving excellence in sports. Jolted by the poor performance of India at the Rio Olympics, the ministry had already begun a process to examine India’s performance.

    The plan is to target talented children of eight years and above.
    Efforts will be made to involve National Sports Federations, corporate houses and other stake-holders in the programme.

    Sports Minister Vijay Goel said in a statement that details of the performance and potential of a child including video and photographs could be uploaded on the portal by children, their parents, relatives, teachers and others on the portal. A format will be available on the portal to capture the key details of the child.

    After due scrutiny, children with potential will be given an opportunity to appear for a battery of tests which could be conducted at the nearest Sports Authority of India Centre and others. Those who pass will be admitted to the training centres of SAI.

    The ministry will also persuade the state governments and others to admit some of such children in their centres. Such talented children who are not able to leave their current places of residence for any reason may be offered a scholarship to help them pursue excellence in sports.

    The portal will allow talented children to stake their claim for support including admission to sports training centres from the comforts of their homes and will simplify procedures. It will be particularly beneficial to the disadvantaged sections of the society.