Over 1k athletes dropped from Khelo India for below-par performance and doping: Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday revealed that 1342 athletes in various disciplines have been weeded out of the Khelo India programme in the last three years for not measuring up in performance and doping violations.

In his reply to a question in Rajya Sabha seeking details of the performance of the athletes enrolled into the programme, the minister stated 2905 fresh names have been inducted into the flagship scheme during the same period.

"A total of 1,342 athletes have exited the programme during the last three years due to performance below the prescribed benchmarks and involvement in doping violations," stated the reply from the minister.


"...performance benchmarks are revised annually and are updated on the Khelo India website from time to time...Athlete performance is mapped and measured annually as per the prescribed protocols and in assessment camps," said the minister and he added that over 23000 athletes are being trained and supported across the nation under the Khelo India programme.

A Talent Identification and Development Committee (TIDC) of the ministry handles the induction and exit of athletes from the programme through an established protocol that includes performance assessment camps.

Khelo India was launched in 2017 to identify and nurture sporting talent at the grassroots level and double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker is one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the scheme.

Anti-Doping measures

Responding to a query on the measures to anti-doping enforcement through investigative and intelligence-gathering mechanisms, the minister reiterated that agencies like the CBI are being involved to strengthen the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

"The Government is committed to ensure clean sport and has taken several steps to strengthen intelligence-gathering and investigative mechanisms, such as institutional strengthening of NADA's Intelligence and Investigation infrastructure, including the recruitment and training of specialised personnel," his reply read.

The coordination with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other law enforcement agencies to combat the trafficking and misuse of performance-enhancing substances is also being encouraged, he stated.

India has been topping the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of countries with the highest positivity rate for banned substances for the past three years.