Sports Ministry Grants 66% Hike in Daily Allowance for International Competitions

According to the announcement by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), the upper ceiling for boarding as well as lodging expenses for Indian athletes and team officials, who participate in international competitions under the Ministry's Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs), has been increased by 66 per cent.

On Friday, the Indian Sports Ministry stated, “Under the newly revised norm, athletes and support staff travelling for approved competitions abroad (foreign exposures) will now be entitled to $250 per day, which is an increase of 66 per cent from an earlier norm of $150 per day.”

This revised decision was taken in view of the requests from NSFs, who brought to notice that the rates set by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the competitions exceeded the existing daily ceiling of USD 150. They also highlighted that eight years have passed since these norms were last revised, after being established in November 2015.

This raise in the boarding and lodging ceiling will enable NSFs to provide improved accommodation options for athletes while they compete and represent the country in competitions across the world.

Going by the current trends, it seems that the Local Organising Committees (LOC) of international competitions now provide complete hospitality packages to participating teams, which go beyond just boarding and lodging. These packages include not only accommodation but also local transportation and, in some cases, entry fees for the event. The total cost of these packages is more than the previous daily limit, which was around USD 150 per person. These developments have prompted a review of the boarding and lodging norms set in 2015.

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