Govt to spend 678 crore on athletes for Commonwealth Games

A total of 1140 athletes including 485 women are getting help in their training for next year's Commonwealth Games through a scheme,worth Rs 678 crore, the sports ministry said on Thursday.

Responding to a query in Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Prateek Prakashbapu Patil said they are implementing a scheme, aimed at improving the performance of the Indian contingent in the 2010 Games.

The scheme covers all the competitions in the Games, to be held from October 3 to 14, and a total of 655 men and 485 women elite athletes have been identified for the training, Patil said.

The scheme has been finalised in consultation with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the concerned national sports federations, he added.

The disciplines include Archery, Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Boxing (M), Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball (W), Rugby Sevens (M), Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis Weightlifting, Wrestling and Elite Athletes with Disability (Athletics, Powerlifting, Table Tennis and Swimming).