Srinagar, Aug 31: Jammu and Kashmir has unveiled an ambitious five-year roadmap to tap the expanded Khelo India programme, targeting around ₹1,000–1,200 crore in Central assistance between 2026 and 2031 to transform sports infrastructure, identify talent and build a stronger athlete-development ecosystem across the Union Territory.

The roadmap was presented at the first meeting of the UT Level Coordination Committee (UTLCC), chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, who called for a focused, district-driven strategy to secure maximum admissible funding under the national programme.
Dulloo directed all Deputy Commissioners to prepare comprehensive district sports plans and submit them by September 15, 2026, stressing that existing sports assets must be utilised optimally while new infrastructure is developed according to local requirements.
He said J&K has consistently produced sporting talent and emphasised the need to provide young athletes with quality facilities, professional coaching, scientific training and wider exposure to compete at national and international levels.
Presenting the roadmap, Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services & Sports, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, outlined a coordinated strategy covering the entire sporting pipeline—from school-level participation and grassroots talent identification to elite athlete preparation.
The national Khelo India 2026–31 programme carries a total outlay of ₹28,489 crore, including administrative expenses. Its annual allocation is scheduled to rise from ₹3,173 crore in 2026–27 to ₹9,198 crore in 2030–31, providing J&K with multiple funding opportunities.
The largest funding window is Khelo India Training Facilities, allocated ₹10,586 crore, followed by Strengthening Strategic Sports Assets with ₹4,963 crore and Sports Infrastructure for Medal Strategy with ₹4,866 crore. Other components include Talent Identification and Development (₹2,407 crore), Sports Competitions and Leagues (₹2,358 crore), State Action Plan for Sports Infrastructure Development (₹1,400 crore), Coach and Support Staff Development (₹748 crore), Sports Technology (₹302 crore) and the Fit India Movement (₹300 crore).
A major feature of J&K’s roadmap is a proposed ten-fold expansion in the number of supported athletes. The administration plans to use Khel SETU to map sporting talent across schools and universities and establish a structured pathway from promising youngsters to elite competitors.
The plan also seeks to address gaps in sports coaching and physical education by upgrading the skills of Physical Education Teachers, community coaches and local trainers through a four-level coaching framework and E-Khel Paathshala. Special emphasis has been proposed on developing women coaches at local, national and international levels.
At the infrastructure level, the roadmap envisages Olympic Training Centres, National Centres of Excellence, expanded Khelo India Centres, Utkarsha Vidyalayas and feeder schools, besides greater participation of accredited private academies through public-private partnerships.
Technology is another key pillar. In collaboration with premier technical institutions, J&K plans to develop an AI-based sports talent identification and athlete-performance analytics platform and an AI-enabled system for managing sports infrastructure and youth services through NIT Srinagar. IIT Jammu is proposed to support a digital youth health-screening and preventive-care system.
The UTLCC meeting brought together senior officials from sports, education, finance, planning, public works, social welfare and rural development departments, while Deputy Commissioners participated virtually.
The roadmap seeks to move J&K beyond sporadic sporting success towards a systematic, technology-driven and sustainable sports ecosystem, combining infrastructure, coaching, sports science and grassroots talent identification to create athletes capable of competing on the national and international stage.