Sonowal urges corporates to extend their CSR support to make India a sports super power

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday called upon corporate houses to extend their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support to make India the super power in the world of sports.

"India is making steady progress in multi-discipline sports competitions like Olympic Games, Commonwealth and Asian Games and have won many world championships. He said, if the Corporate Houses spend a portion of their CSR funds towards promotion of sports, India will surely emerge as the super power in sports in the World," he said while speaking at the Eastern India CSR Summit.

He said the Indian Companies Act 2009 has now been suitably revised to include various Sports Promotion Schemes under its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) and added that his Ministry has also suitably revised the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar which was introduced to encourage involvement of corporate and sports promotion boards in the development of sports in the country.

The sports minister said companies can now spend on promotion and development of sports from the funds earmarked for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a specific category for 'Encouragement of sports through Corporate Social Responsibility' has been provided for in the revised Scheme.

"The corporate houses have to come forward to patronise budding talent selected as Olympic Probables to provide them training and competition exposure and inputs required for proper training, be it imported equipment; services of foreign coach, diet supplements and sports science back up," he said.

"The CSR support for preparation of Indian Contingent for Olympic Games 2016, Commonwealth and Asian Games 2018 and Olympic Games 2020 is required," he added.

The minister said his ministry has identified seven sports disciplines as medal prospect disciplines in the Olympic Games 2016 and identified 75 core probables and another 75 probables will be selected shortly. The disciplines are: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Shooting, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

He said, under CSR, contribution of funds may be made towards National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India created for support to the talented sportspersons in their training and competitions and also for financial support to former Olympians in setting up their Sports Academies.

Sonowal expressed the confidence that the Corporate Houses will come forward and join the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Sab Ka Saath - Sab Ka Vikas' and contribute whole-heartedly towards promotion of sports in the country.