E-sports, break-dancing made eligible but sports ministry ends cash prizes for junior athletes

New Delhi: Medal winners from world and continental championships of mallakhamb, e-sports and even the much-criticised break-dancing have been made eligible for cash incentives by the sports ministry, which has decided to end such rewards for junior and sub-junior athletes in even Olympic disciplines.

The ministry has come out with a list of 51 sports that will be eligible for cash rewards, including all those which are a part of the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the World University Games roster.

Also included in this list are kho-kho, which had its maiden World Cup in Delhi last month, Kurash (a form of wrestling practised in central Asia), and Ju-Jitsu (a martial art discipline which has its origins in Japan).

The ministry continues to have cash rewards for para-athletes and has decided to hike prize money for medal winners of events featuring deaf, blind and intellectually-challenged athletes. From a maximum of Rs 10 lakh earlier, these athletes can now earn Rs 20 lakh for a gold at a world event.

However, no explanation has been offered by the ministry for doing away with the reward system for age group athletes, who have relied heavily on these incentives to finance their formative years' nutrition, coaching and equipment needs.

A junior athlete was earlier entitled to a little over Rs 13 lakh for winning gold at a quadrennial world championship, which was one-third of the prize money set aside for a similar achievement at the senior level. A sub-junior athlete could earn about Rs 6.66 lakh for a top finish at a quadrennial world competition.

In its circular, it said that the revision of the policy has been done "to simplify the disbursement of cash incentive to the medal winners in international sports events and their coaches". The new policy came into effect on February 1.

Yogasana, mallakhamb (a combination of gymnastic and yoga poses on a pole or rope while using wrestling grips), and kho-kho are among the indigenous sports that the government is pushing for inclusion at international events.

Break-dancing made its Olympic debut at the Paris Olympics and was met with mixed response with some of the performances becoming a subject of international ridicule. The newly-designated sport will not be there in the 2028 Olympic roster.

E-sports, which is competitive video-gaming, made its debut as an exhibition sport in the Asian Games in 2023.

Till recently, the policy, which was last amended in 2020, only offered cash rewards for disciplines in Olympic Games, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games along with chess and cue sports (billiards & snooker).

While the allocated prize money for medal-winners remains largely unchanged with an Olympic gold-winner eligible for the highest reward (Rs 75 lakh), the ministry has made it clear that it would not give any prize money for medals won at world or continental events where "the number of teams in any event is less than four." Continuing with the earlier policy, full prize money would be given if the participating countries are at least 16 in individual and 12 in team events.

The reward would be halved in case the participation numbers do not touch at least eight in individual and six in team events.

"In any international sports event, if a sportsperson secures multiple medals in either individual or team categories, they shall be entitled to receive the cash incentive only for the highest-ranking medal won in that event," the ministry further stated.

"However, in the case of the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, and Para-Asian Games, a sportsperson who wins multiple medals in either individual or team categories shall be eligible to receive the cash incentive for each medal won," it added.

The ministry has also decided to rework the distribution of prize money to coaches, specifying three different categories. Coaches are entitled to 50 per cent of the cash incentive that is paid to the athlete.

As per the new policy, the grassroots-level coach, who initially identified and groomed the talent, will receive 30 per cent of the total cash incentive.

Developmental-level coaches, who "further nurtured and developed the medal-winning sportsperson", will also be given 30 per cent of the total incentive.

The bigger share of 40 per cent will go to the elite-level coach, who provided "advanced training" to the sportsperson.

The ministry has also decided to remove the South Asian Games from the list of eligible events for cash awards.

Chess players, who were earlier entitled to Rs four lakh for attaining a Grandmaster title will no longer be considered for such a payout.