Interactive | How much funding each state got, how many medals it won
It seems to be inversely proportional - Gujarat, which received the highest funding under Khelo India, bagged no medal at Asian Games 2023; read the map
The Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, concluded last week, but the controversies refuse to die in India. Topping the list is the debate over allocations under the Union government's Khelo India scheme, meant to boost sports infrastructure in the nation.
India sent 655 athletes to Asian Games 2023, from 26 states and five Union Territories, for individual as well as team events. The states that sent the most athletes were Haryana (89) and Maharashtra (73). India finished at a record 107 medals, with athletes from Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra topping the medals tally.
Funnily, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra were also among the those that received the least amount of funding under Khelo India — Rs 88.89 crore, Rs 93.71 crore, and Rs 110.8 crore, respectively. Gujarat, home to no Asian Games medal winner, received Rs 608.37 crore. Uttar Pradesh, which has just 21 medal winners, had received the second largest Khelo India funding of Rs 503.02 crore.
The funding figures had been shared by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports last August in the Lok Sabha, in reply to a query.
Rajasthan is the only non-BJP ruling state to have received over ₹100 crore under Khelo India. Congress-ruled Rajasthan got ₹112.26 crore. Maharashtra, which was also a non-BJP state earlier but is now under the party’s rule, got ₹110.80 crore. All the other non-BJP states received two-digit allocations.
BJP-ruling states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka snapped up the lion’s share, at ₹608.37 crore, ₹503.02 crore, ₹183.72 crore and ₹128.52 crore, respectively.
Social media has been debating over the topic. TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweeted: "MODI became PM of India but he ensured all resources ONLY to Gujarat… His has always shown STEP- MOTHERLY attitude towards all other states."