The Sports Ministry has given its approval to open 143 Khelo India Centres across seven states in the country with a total budget estimate of Rs 14.30 crore. The states include Maharashtra, Mizoram, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. These Khelo India Centres will be entrusted with one sports discipline each. The financial assistance will be used for remuneration of the past-champion athletes as coach, support staff, purchase of equipment, sports kits, consumables, participation in competition and events.
 
The Khelo India Centres have been launched by the Sports Ministry in partnership with the State Governments to ensure the availability of grassroot-level sports infrastructure across the country. Thirty six Khelo India Centres will be opened in Maharashtra, 52 centres in Arunachal Pradesh, two centres in Mizoram, 31 centres in Karnataka, 16 centres in Manipur, four in Madhya Pradesh and two centres in Goa. In June last year, the Sports Ministry had planned to open up as many as one thousand new Khelo India Centres over a period of four years, with at least one centre in each district of the country. 217 Khelo India Centres had already been opened across several states.
 
Speaking about the decision, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said, it is the endeavour to make India one among the top ten countries in the 2028 Olympics. He said, in order to fulfill this goal, there is a need to identify and nurture a large number of talented sportspersons from an early age. Mr Rijiju expressed confidence that with the availability of good coaches and equipment facilities at the district-level Khelo India Centers, the government will be able to find the right children for the right sport and at the right time.