Gandhinagar, Aug 11 (IANS) The Gujarat government will launch the revamped ‘Shaktidoot 2.0’ scheme on Wednesday, raising the maximum financial assistance for talented athletes from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and lowering the minimum age for applications from 12 to above nine years.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will formally launch the scheme at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on August 12 under the state government’s ‘Ramshe Gujarat, Jitshe Gujarat’ initiative.
The government will also confer awards on 799 talented athletes and undertake the e-foundation stone laying and e-inauguration of sports complexes, libraries and other facilities involving more than Rs 388 crore across the state.
The revised scheme will also remove the fixed time limit for assistance, with athletes to receive continued financial support based on their performance.
The number of beneficiaries, currently capped at 64, will be increased in phases according to athletes’ talent and performance.
A major change is the extension of equal assistance and opportunities to para, deaf, blind and other athletes with disabilities.
The government has also lowered the eligibility age so that talent can be identified at the grassroots level.
Under Shaktidoot 2.0, athletes will receive need-based support covering sports facilities, nutritious food, modern equipment, training in India and abroad, expert coaches and medical assistance.
The stated objective is to help prepare athletes for major international competitions, including the Olympics and Asian Games.
The selection process is also being revised. Sports experts will be included in the screening and selection committees, while a scientific, point-based marking system will be used to assess athletes.
Competitions including the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games will be given appropriate weightage in the assessment.
The government will also introduce the ‘Shaktidoot B’ initiative to provide immediate financial assistance to athletes who are not part of the main Shaktidoot scheme but record outstanding performances during the year.
Annual and half-yearly assessments will be used to determine performance-based category upgrades.
The changes come as the state reports 1,604 medals by athletes supported under the Shaktidoot scheme since 2015. Of these, 831 have been won at the national level and 773 at international competitions.
The scheme’s beneficiaries have also represented India at major multi-sport events.
Three athletes represented the country at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and another three at the Paris Olympics in 2024. At the Asian Games, three Gujarat athletes represented India at the 2014 edition in South Korea, seven at Jakarta in 2018 and seven at Hangzhou in 2023.
One athlete represented India at the 2017 Asian Winter Games and another at the 2025 edition. For the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, nine athletes supported under the Shaktidoot scheme have been selected to represent India.
Gujarat is set to have its largest-ever representation at the Asian Games, with nine athletes and one reserve player selected for the September 19 to October 4 event.
At the Commonwealth Games, two athletes represented India at Glasgow in 2014, two at Gold Coast in 2018 and two at Birmingham in 2022. One Shaktidoot-supported athlete represented India at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The programme will also include the presentation of the Eklavya Award, Sardar Patel Award and Jaydeepsinhji Award to athletes.
The sports infrastructure projects being inaugurated or launched through the programme include 11 taluka-level sports complexes, seven libraries and two study halls, along with seven district-level sports complexes, five libraries and two municipal libraries.
The projects span Ahmedabad, Amreli, Anand, Botad, Dahod, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Jamnagar, Kutch, Mahisagar, Mehsana, Morbi, Navsari, Patan, Porbandar, Surendranagar, Tapi and Valsad, as well as Swarnim Gujarat Sports University in Vadodara.
The facilities include district and taluka-level sports complexes, modern libraries, study halls, sports hostels, 400-metre synthetic athletic tracks, astroturf hockey grounds and campus development works.
The government said the revised scheme is intended to provide a broader and more continuous support system for promising athletes, with assistance linked to their needs and performance rather than being restricted by a fixed period.
–IANS
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