Gollum Posted February 13, 2025 Posted February 13, 2025 (edited) Sports Ministry ‘didn’t consult’ AICF before ending cash incentive for attaining GM, IM titles: Chess federation VP Next time this govt talks about supporting sports, chess, slap this on their face. ₹4 lakhs for GM title, 1.5 for IM, that too only if achieved before age 20. Maximum will add up to 30-40 lakhs per year. But they can't afford this paltry amount. After the hardships, sacrifices endured by chess players and their families, imagine removing even this token gesture. Not an isolated incident. Sports funding is being cut across most disciplines and states (while BCCI is exempted from tax on IPL profits), but trust Modi to be first in line to take credit for any achievement @Lord @Lone Wolf @New guy Edited February 13, 2025 by Gollum New guy 1
Gollum Posted February 13, 2025 Author Posted February 13, 2025 (edited) Arjun has spoken out against this move. What is the government hoping to save, I just don't understand. They can spend so much on advertisement campaigns, birthday wishes for their ministers but not somewhere that gives India such good PR at low cost? Where do you want your tax money to go? India's Olympiad dominance last year had more global reach than our T20 WC win, Gukesh's win over Ding was being covered so positively in all prominent Western media outlets and even Jaljeera......other Indian sportspersons/teams don't have that kind of reach no matter how good they are, not even Neeraj Chopra or our hockey team. Easiest soft power tool considering the pathetic state of our music/movie/OTT (any 'entertainment' for that matter) industries and performance in mainstream global sports (as Arnab rightly said, cricket is a local sport, and even there we are seeing recent developments taking Indian cricket to the abyss). Whatever our sportspersons, chess players achieve is despite the government. Priorities are different, the ones in power keep building basic mega stadiums (that too with no concern for fans' comfort) and useless, ugly gigantic statues in the middle of nowhere. All vanity projects with zero use to the public or India's image (think of Korea as counter example in pushing K-Pop and K-Drama, part of their cultural invasion of rest of the world). Edited February 13, 2025 by Gollum BacktoCricaddict and Mariyam 1 1
New guy Posted February 14, 2025 Posted February 14, 2025 What is the motive behind this though? It barely costs anything for the government? Gollum 1
AuxiliA Posted February 14, 2025 Posted February 14, 2025 They have raised Sports budget by 10% this year, 350crs, which is substantial. Think they are cost cutting from self funding sports like Chess or Football and focusing more on Olympics event sports. https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget/sports-budget-raised-by-over-350-crore-khelo-india-gets-biggest-share/article69167989.ece/amp/
Gollum Posted February 14, 2025 Author Posted February 14, 2025 3 hours ago, AuxiliA said: They have raised Sports budget by 10% this year, 350crs, which is substantial. Think they are cost cutting from self funding sports like Chess or Football and focusing more on Olympics event sports. https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget/sports-budget-raised-by-over-350-crore-khelo-india-gets-biggest-share/article69167989.ece/amp/ Khelo India is a scam just to funnel more money into Gujarat and UP instead of sporting powerhouse states. Chess isn't self funding. Almost all our prospects give up education, careers in the process, even 2600 GMs have to look for other jobs to sustain their livelihood. Pretty expensive if you look at the ROI.
AuxiliA Posted February 14, 2025 Posted February 14, 2025 33 minutes ago, Gollum said: Khelo India is a scam just to funnel more money into Gujarat and UP instead of sporting powerhouse states. Chess isn't self funding. Almost all our prospects give up education, careers in the process, even 2600 GMs have to look for other jobs to sustain their livelihood. Pretty expensive if you look at the ROI. Disproportionate allocation of funds to states doesn't mean that it's a scam. It's political yes and has been that way since forever. Majority of Gujarat's funding is due to the bidding for 2036 Olympics. Lots of scholarships are being provided to talented school/college level atheletes each year through Khelo India which wasn't the case earlier. Grassroot sports facilities have improved since KI's lauch. Indian Chess is still financially well off compared to many amateur olympic sports in India which are totally dependent on govt handout and support.
Recommended Posts