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Sports receives highest-ever allocation in Budget 2024 before Paris Olympics

Indian sports received a great push in the ongoing Budget 2024 ahead of the forthcoming mega-event of Paris Olympics 2024.

By Soumya | Feb 7, 2024 | 3 Min Read

As the year of record budgetary allocation comes to a close, the sporting arena pins hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep up the momentum in the upcoming Union Budget. With the Paris 2024 Olympics looming, the spotlight is extensively focused on the sports sector ahead of the Union Budget 2024. In 2023, the industry received an allocation of INR 3397.32 Cr, marking its highest-ever budget allocation in history with a jump of over INR 300 Crores.

Out of this, Khelo India got the maximum budget allocation of INR 1045 crores and has played a pivotal part in shaping the industry’s growth. Given the significance of last year’s budget, the nation’s sports industry stakeholders are united in their vision for the upcoming Union Budget as a critical player in shaping India’s future on the global stage, not just in Paris but also for India’s future Olympics bid.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has hailed Modi for tripling the sports budget over the past nine years of BJP rule which has seen India putting up the best-ever sports performance from the Tokyo Olympics to the Asian Games.

While addressing the Khelo India Youth Games inaugural ceremony in Bengaluru on December 23, Thakur lauded the Centre’s magnified focus on boosting the nation’s sports economy. “As the sports minister of India, I can proudly say that if you look at the two years from the Tokyo Olympics till now, we have won the highest medals in the Tokyo Olympics, Paralympics, Deaflympics, Commonwealth Games, and now in the Asian Games and Para-Asian Games. This is the best performance ever by Indians in the field of sports,” he said.

A roadmap for the future

Looking beyond the Paris Olympics, India also aspires to host the 2036 Olympics. Tenzing Niyogi, CEO and League Commissioner of Ultimate Kho Kho emphasized the need for strategic allocations, noting, “Aligning with the nation’s vision to host the 2036 Olympics under the leadership of our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we expect a strategic allocation for non-cricketing sports for infrastructure and talent development across diverse sporting disciplines. Furthermore, the allocation of funds from NSF is also of utmost importance as it will act as a catalyst to nurture grassroots programs and identify as well as develop raw talent.

India’s sporting glory in 2023

The year 2023 has emerged as a pivotal year in the realm of Indian sports. It saw stellar performances, a near-triumph fight in World Cup cricket, record-breaking achievements by stalwarts like Virat Kohli, dominance by figures like Neeraj Chopra, maturation of Indian athletics with a record medal tally at the Asian Games, and a flurry of qualifications for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

Moreover, there has been a revival in Indian shooting after the disappointing Tokyo Olympics, with a badminton duo ascending to the pinnacle of the sport through razor-sharp, high-energy displays, thrilling come-from-behind victories, and resounding successes in cricket, hockey, wrestling, and boxing. Additionally, the emergence of young, promising talent has underscored their rightful place at the highest echelons of competition. Now, with this monetary push, every Indian anticipates a power-packed performance in the forthcoming Paris Olympics.

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