New Delhi: With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, the Government’s ambitious Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) program is set to receive a significant boost under the leadership of Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. Tomorrow, Dr. Mandaviya will inaugurate Phase 2 of the initiative in New Delhi, marking a pivotal moment in India’s sporting landscape. The first phase of KIRTI was successfully launched in Chandigarh on March 12 earlier this year.
Dr. Mandaviya is expected to underscore the project’s importance, aiming to achieve 20 lakh assessments in the fiscal year 2024-25 by involving all states and treating each district as a unit of assessment. This initiative aligns with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to democratize sports access across the nation, fostering mass participation and eventually achieving sporting excellence through Khelo India’s structured pyramid programs.
In the initial phase of KIRTI, which witnessed registrations totaling 3,62,683 across 70 centers nationwide, close to 51,000 assessments were conducted in 28 states and Union Territories. Leading the assessments were Maharashtra and Haryana, stalwart performers in Khelo India events, with 9168 and 4820 assessments respectively. Assam followed closely with 4703 assessments.
Athletics emerged as the most assessed discipline with 13804 evaluations, closely followed by football with 13483 assessments, reflecting the program’s comprehensive approach across 11 sporting disciplines including Archery, Badminton, Boxing, and Wrestling, among others.
KIRTI aims to scale up its efforts to conduct 20 lakh assessments throughout the year, utilizing Talent Assessment Centers to identify budding talent across the nation. This scouting and assessment initiative is unprecedented in India, pivotal to the nation’s aspirations of breaking into the top 10 sporting nations globally by 2036, and securing a position among the top five by 2047.
Central to KIRTI’s success is its athlete-centric approach, underpinned by a transparent selection methodology leveraging Information Technology. The program utilizes advanced data analytics and Artificial Intelligence to predict the potential of aspiring athletes accurately.