KIRTI Program

Blog Credit: Trupti Thakur

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Khelo India Rising Talent Identification Program- KIRTI

 

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the unique Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) programme amidst much enthusiasm at Sector 7 sports complex, in Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Aimed at school children between nine and 18 years, the nation-wide scheme will have two main objectives: to hunt talent from every nook and corner of the country and to use sports as a tool to curb addiction towards drugs and other gadgetry distractions.

The KIRTI programme was launch across 50 centres in India. Fifty thousand applicants are being assessed in the first phase across 10 sports, including athletics, boxing, wrestling, hockey, football and wrestling. KIRTI aims to conduct 20 lakh assessments across the country throughout the year to identify talent through notified Talent Assessment Centres. A scouting and training programme of this scale is a first in India and comes at a time when the nation wants to “become a top 10 sports nation in the world by 2036 and among the top five by 2047,” said Shri Thakur.

Mr. Thakur emphasized that youth were the building blocks of the nation and to achieve results in sports, one must start early. Saying an athlete needed at least 10 years of preparation to win an Olympic medal, the minister said, “KIRTI wants to reach out to every block in the country and connect with those kids who want to play a sport but don’t know how. We know every child playing sport won’t win a medal but at least we want to use sports to keep the young away from drugs and other addictions. I urge every child to register through the MyBharat portal and the onus will be on us to go to them and provide the opportunity through KIRTI.”

KIRTI’s athlete-centric programme is conspicuous by its transparent selection methodology based on Information Technology. Data analytics based on Artificial Intelligence are being used to predict the sporting acumen in an aspiring athlete. Mr. Thakur added that a talent scouting system of this magnitude will need tactical collaboration with the National Sports Federations and the state governments. He added that the government has already spent Rs 3000 Crore on infrastructure and have more than 1000 Khelo India Centres across the country.

Several young boys and girls turned up for the selection process at the Sector 7 sports complex in Chandigarh. For 14-year-old sprinter Aman Sharma and 17-year-old walker Jaskaran Singh, KIRTI has opened a big window of opportunity. “We now know where to go and train. KIRTI is really motivating us,” said Jaskaran, waiting for his turn for a photo-op with Paris-bound Jena.

Jena was feted by Mr. Thakur and the man who challenged Neeraj Chopra at the Asian Games and the world athletics meet in Budapest last year said: “I have highlighted before that sportspersons do not receive enough support at the grassroots level. When they start winning medals they receive financial and moral support, which should not be the case. KIRTI is a great scheme and is engaging kids of the right age. They are full of energy and this is the time to groom or nurture them after identifying their talent.”

Chandigarh: Union minister for youth affairs and sports Anurag Thakur on Tuesday inaugurated Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) programme. The scheme, aimed at school children in the age group of nine to 18 years, will focus on hunting talent from every nook and corner of the country and to use sports as a tool to curb addiction to drugs and other gadgetry distractions.

On the occasion Thakur said, “KIRTI has been a dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a culture of sports and also create a cradle of talent that can win India medals at global competitions like the Olympics and Asian Games.”
Member of Parliament from Chandigarh Kirron Kher; Rajiv Verma, adviser to the Chandigarh administrator; and Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist and rising javelin star and a Paris Olympics medal contender Kishore Kumar Jena were also present at the event. KIRTI was launched across 50 centres in India.
As many as 50,000 applicants are being assessed in the first phase across 10 sports, including athletics, boxing, wrestling, hockey, football, and wrestling. It aims to conduct 20 lakh assessments across the country throughout the year to identify talent through notified talent assessment centres.

 

Olympic and world javelin champion Neeraj Chopra has lauded the Union sports ministry’s initiative to launch the Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) programme, saying “that it could possibly provide the right balance between sports and studies.”

Aimed at athletes in the age-group between nine to 18 years i.e. school-going age, KIRTI is an ambitious nation-wide programme under the Khelo India mission that attempts to identify talent from every nook and corner of the country by using IT tools and provide a common platform to showcase talent.

The fundamental objective of KIRTI is to create a pyramidal structure starting from the grassroots level and culminating in the development of elite athletes for achieving excellence at international platforms. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme, which has two divisions – core and developmental – sits right at the top of the pyramid.

Speaking to SAI, Chopra, who is currently in Turkey preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, said the entire Khelo India mission is pregnant with possibilities.

“There cannot be a better opportunity than to ride all the Khelo India initiatives undertaken by the central government. Be it the Youth Games or the University Games, I understand these events are extremely well conducted and if our athletes are focused and can capitalize on the platforms provided, Indian sports can only go forward,” said Chopra.

KIRTI aims to conduct 20 lakh assessments across the country throughout the year to identify talent through notified Talent Assessment Centres. A scouting and training programme at this scale is a first in India and comes at a time when India wants to gain the next level in global sports.

Chopra is simply excited at the possibilities.

“I am a glaring example. I started at 13-14 (years) and then climbed the ladder. That’s the time to convince children that one has to balance studies with sports activities. It’s a dual responsibility and it’s good to see the government coming forward to take care of the sports side of things. This is the change we need in India and grow the awareness on sports,” said Chopra.

Taking the help of scientific tools, KIRTI will involve physical education teachers and experts in scouting talent. In the first phase, 10 Khelo India disciplines — archery, athletics, boxing, football, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling have been identified.

 

 

Blog By: Trupti Thakur