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Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday launched the issuance of sports certificates via DigiLocker at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.
Prior to the launch, he inaugurated the National Centre for Sports Science and Research (NCSSR) at the same venue. Addressing the gathering, Mandaviya reaffirmed the Government's commitment to athlete welfare, stating that all sports initiatives undertaken by the Modi Government are athlete-centric. Citing examples of the Draft National Sports Governance Bill 2024, Draft National Sports Policy 2024, and the Draft National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports (NCAAFS) 2025, the Minister said these reflect the Government's resolve to ensure transparency, fairness and good governance in the Indian sports ecosystem. He announced that sports certificates issued via DigiLocker will soon be integrated with the National Sports Repository System (NSRS), enabling automatic disbursal of Government cash rewards directly into athletes' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), eliminating the need for paper applications. "In the past what used to happen is that a sportsperson had to apply for Government cash rewards after winning medals in international competitions. I don't want that the athletes have to suffer or face any roadblocks in getting their well-deserved reward. So, these initiatives are meant to make it smooth for them. If everyone has watched him/her win a medal internationally why do they need to apply," the Union Minister said. Highlighting future plans, Mandaviya spoke about the comprehensive roadmap being implemented to support India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics. He also reiterated India's interest in hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030. Calling on National Sports Federations (NSFs) to prioritize good governance and athlete welfare, Union Minister urged collective efforts from athletes, federations, and the Government to strengthen the sports ecosystem. As a step in this direction, he announced that office space at IG Stadium in Delhi will be made available to interested NSFs. Mandaviya also announced the forthcoming launch of a 'One Sport-One Corporate' policy aimed at facilitating federation handholding and attracting financial support for sports development. Additionally, Olympic training centres for high-priority sports disciplines will be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, he added. Speaking on the inauguration of the NCSSR, Mandaviya said the Centre will serve as a hub for high-level research, education, and innovation aimed at enhancing elite athlete performance. He emphasized that such initiatives will be instrumental in fulfilling India's long-term sporting vision under Viksit Bharat by 2047. "Let us all work together to build a strong sports culture for a new India," Mandaviya concluded. Praising the initiative by the government, Olympic silver medallist and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardee Mirabai Chanu said: "This is a really good scheme for players. The issuance of sports certificates by DigiLocker will take a lot of stress away from all sportspersons like me. Many times sportspersons have to rush back home for certain documents - for government jobs, visa etc. - as we don't carry them with us always. I want to thank our Sports Minister on behalf of all players for this initiative."(ANI)
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