The Indian National Congress (INC), on Tuesday, released its election manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. Titled “Congress Will Deliver”, the 53-page manifesto was released by party president Rahul Gandhi which carries a detailed plan of action under six categories.

Among the key issues, Sports has also found a place in the document.

The party promises to make physical education and sports an integral and mandatory part of the school curriculum. Higher education institutions will be encouraged to accord sports an important place.

The party also promised to allocate sufficient funds to create modern sports infrastructure in different parts of the country.

The manifesto promises Centres of Sporting Excellence in different parts of the country and at least one Sports Counselling Centre in every district, besides sufficient funds to “promote sports among girls and women, persons with disabilities and disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Tribes.”

“Congress affirms its belief that India has the potential to become a great sporting nation. Our sports policy will aim to inculcate in our citizens, especially students and youth, the culture of sports and fitness and will encourage sports as a career,” says the manifesto.

The main points pertaining to sports are:

• Respect the autonomy of the Indian Olympic Association and the Apex Body of each sport
• Government will work with each body to promote the sport concerned
• Take suitable measures to ensure that the Constitution of each sports body is in accordance with certain norms and principles
• Adequate representation in each sports body for active players, former players and women
• Make physical education and sports an integral and mandatory part of the school curriculum and encourage higher education institutions to accord sports an important place
• Promise to allocate sufficient funds to create modern sports infrastructure in different parts of the country such as multi-sport stadium, athletic track, football field, astroturf, tennis, badminton, basketball and volleyball courts, gymnasium, swimming pool and velodrome
• Entrust the maintenance and management of each facility to the Apex Body of that sport
• Allocate sufficient funds to train and produce coaches and other technical support personnel in each sport
• Promise to establish Centres of Sporting Excellence in different parts of the country in order to offer world-class training and coaching facilities to sportspersons who meet national or international standards of excellence
• Ensure that there is at least 1 community sports centre in the headquarters of each block and in municipal towns and at least 1 multi-sport coaching centre in every district headquarters
• Ensure that there is at least 1 Sports Counselling Centre in every district that will spread awareness about different sports and counsel and assist aspiring young sportspersons
• Allocate sufficient funds to promote sports among girls and women, persons with disabilities and disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Tribes.