KIRTI Kicks off in Sikkim
Press Release from Sports Authority of India, Sports Training Centre, Namchi
The first Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) assessment was successfully conducted in Paljor Stadium and White Hall on 17th and 18th August 2024 by Sports Authority of India Training Centre (STC) Namchi with participation of 427 school students from Gangtok. KIRTI is India’s first ever sports talent identification programme for school children in line with the ‘sports-integrated education’ vision of New Education Policy-2020.
KIRTI has been envisioned to achieve the goal of tapping the untapped latent sporting talent at grassroot level and developing a sporting consciousness in the public. The talent identification is done through a scientifically designed and National Sports Federation approved battery of tests. The participant students have undergone a battery of 10 tests curated to measure their physical attributes followed by sports-specific tests in 10 disciplines. In the first assessment drive of KIRTI, all participants underwent ten general fitness assessment tests followed by ten Football assessment tests and Boxing respectively.
Further, the entire program is designed using IT Tools – the KIRTI App such that it will help in streamlining the whole process of grassroot talent identification on a single platform. All participants can access digital report card of their performance showcasing their percentile-based ranking at state and national level through the KIRTI website. Going forward, KIRTI aims to create a large pool of feeder athletes who will represent India in international Sporting events and be put on the ‘path to fame’ i.e. KIRTI.
Students from 14 schools participated in the inaugural round of assessment. SAI expresses appreciation for all the participant Schools and Sports & Youth Affairs Department Gangtok in particular for organizing the KIRTI event at their premise. In coming months KIRTI assessment drive will be conducted in all districts phase-wise, eventually covering the entire state.