The Union Sports Ministry on Monday announced Star Sports as the broadcast and production partner for its flagship initiative Khelo India School Games until 2022.
Khelo India School Games is the marquee event under revamped Khelo India programme. This year, the Under-17 meet will run from January 31.
The meet has 16 different disciplines. The event is expected to host around 6000 athletes and officials in its first edition.
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said: "After careful deliberation and following a transparent bidding process, we are delighted to announce that Khelo India School Games will be partnering with Star Sports for the broadcast of event.
"It will be the first time that school games will be broadcast live simultaneously on TV and digital platform. Star Sports and Hotstar, with their vision of fostering a comprehensive, multi- sports ecosystem in India will be our ideal broadcast partners to help us realize the dream of transforming India into a global sporting powerhouse in the coming years."
Rathore, 2004 Olympic medal-winning shooter said that through Khelo India, the ministry will seek to bring back active playtime in the lives of children.
More From This Section
"Parents and teachers need to embrace sports and ensure that it is as essential a part of the everyday life of children as educational curriculum," he said.
The best talent selected through the competition will be amongst the 1000 (one thousand) budding athletes eligible for a scholarship worth 5 lakhs each per year for a period of eight years.
Every year, new athletes will be added under the Khelo India scheme. Thus, over the period of the scheme, the country will have a solid bench-strength for all sports.
--IANS
pur/vm