Top 10 Sports Scholarships in India

Sports bring various cultures together, bridges gaps between countries and spread across different generations. Nowadays, excellence in academics is given a priority while extracurricular activities like sports take a backseat. But, few universities and organisations give utmost importance to sports which in turn gives better chances for a talented sports person to pursue their dreams professionally in the form of Sports Scholarships. A sports scholarship is a type of scholarship which is given to an individual to attend a college or university mainly based on their ability to play in a particular sport. This encourages students to pursue their talents in a particular sport which also gives India our next emerging personality in the field of sports. 

Popular Sports Scholarships in India

The following are the popular scholarships in the field of sports:

Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Netaji Subhas National Institute Of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala

Scholarship Rewards: Rs.6600/- per annum

Located in Patiala in Punjab, Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports is one of Asia’s biggest sports institutions established by the Government of India. It is actually the academic franchise of Sports Authority of India (SAI) with the goal of developing sports in the country and training people in different disciplines related to sports. In its superior aim to promote sports and help students achieve their dreams, the Institution has introduced a new scheme of honouring talented sports people with a Sports Scholarship. The main scholarships include State and National Level Scholarships, Scholarships for Students and Special Scholarships for Women.

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, Navi Mumbai 

Scholarship Rewards: Up to INR 2,00,000/-

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports is a country wide sports platform for school and college sportspeople which was launched in 2015. Their sole focus is using sports as a medium to encourage leadership qualities and learning among youth in rural areas. This platform encourages emerging talents and nurtures them to become India’s next biggest champions. They also offer various sports scholarships and programmes like the Young Champs program which is a full-time residential program for emerging talents.

RFYS also celebrates August 29th as their official Sports Day to commemorate the birthday of Hockey legend, Dhyan Chand. 

Related Read: Importance of Sports In A Student’s Life

SRM University, Kattankulathur 

Scholarship Rewards: Up to 50% of tuition fee waiver

SRM University, one of India’s top private universities, awards prestigious sports scholarships to students in order to encourage and support their exemplary talent in sports. In the year 2014, almost 108 students were awarded a sports scholarship which is the most number of scholarships a university has granted. The trials for selection are conducted every year which is judged by esteemed coaches and related people who then award these scholarships to the deserving candidates in an award ceremony. 

Must Read: Top 5 Perks of Having a Career in Sports

Delhi University, New Delhi 

One of the main advantages of Delhi University (commonly known as DU) is that it gives colleges the freedom to decide the number of seats to be filled under Sports Quota based on the number of seats available. These sports scholarships are given to the prospects based on selection trials for new candidates. For the students who have represented India in International Level Sports Events, direct admissions to sports scholarships are given without having to undergo any sports trials. The list of shortlisted candidates are later sent to the Delhi University Sports Council (DUSC) for other processes related to the sports scholarship. 

PACE Scholarships by GoSports Foundation, Bengaluru 

The PACE Sports Scholarships are awarded by the GoSports Foundation to empower India’s next generation of sports men and women. They are given out every year during the month of January. Monetary support isn’t the only objective of this sports scholarship, they also fund many lesser known talents and encourage them to participate in international level events. Kidambi Srikanth, Dipa Karmakar and Sharath Gayakwad are the various Olympic and Paralympic champions who were funded and fuelled by this Foundation. 

The basic eligibility for an athlete to secure this prestigious sports scholarship is to be a national level champion in their respective sport. The GoSports advisory board also employs various sporting legends like Rahul Dravid and Abhinav Bindra as advisors and mentors to the emerging talents of the foundation.

Indian Oil Sports Scholarship, New Delhi 

Scholarship Rewards: Scholar: Rs. 12,000-16,000, Elite Scholar: Rs. 15,000-19,000

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), is India’s largest public sector and flagship oil company with its headquarters in New Delhi. They have been promoting the importance of sports for three decades by offering sports scholarships and sponsorships for a period of three years. Their sole aim is to provide opportunities to talented sportspeople. They provide scholarships based on two categories which are:

1. Scholars in Sports 
2. Elite Scholars in Sports

IOCL was also the lead sponsor for the first edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) which was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 

Airports Authority of India, New Delhi 

Scholarship Rewards: INR 12,000/-per month.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) is an organisation that works under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that is responsible for civil aviation infrastructure all around India. They give out AAI Sports Scholarship Scheme for the promising players who represent India in different levels. This scholarship scheme enhances the standards of sports and encourages young sporting talent. They also give out permanent employment to sports people based on their performances and availability of vacancies. 

Also Read: Academic Scholarships for Underprivileged Sports Athletes

Amity University, Noida

Scholarship Rewards:  Upto 30-40% of tuition fee waiver

Amity University is one of the leading private research universities in Noida with world class infrastructure where sports scholarships are offered on an annual basis. The Amity University Sports Scholarships were introduced to help the financially weak students who are talented in sports. There are two types of admission processes for getting the scholarship:

1. Fast Track Admission – 100% Scholarship for International Players and 50% Scholarship for National Medal winners. 
2. Admission through Sports Trials and Interview 

The students who come under Fast Track Admission don’t have to appear for Sports Trials and Interviews but the latter’s selection will be solely based on that. 

Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission (TNEA) and Anna University, Chennai

Scholarship Rewards: Undisclosed tuition fee waiver 

Anna University is a prestigious public university which provides affiliation to 593 colleges in Tamil Nadu. Every year, TNEA and Anna University teams up to offer sports scholarships to deserving candidates with regards to their sports eminence. As of now, the total number of seats given through sports quota has been increased to 500.

To apply for a sports scholarship, students should attach their reservation form, TNEA application form along with the relevant documents and a demand draft for Rs. 100/- after which they will be called for a counselling. 

FG Power Player, Bengaluru

Padma Shri awardee Gautam Gambhir along with the sports technology firm Funngage.com, launched India’s first digitally powered cricket scholarship program. Through this PAN India program, aspiring cricketers from the age group of 12-24 years get a fully funded Cricket Development Sports Scholarship and a free admission to a training camp in Perth, Australia. The selected students will also get an opportunity to be trained in Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) for 5 years which is their highly recognised Cricket Development Sports Scholarship. The best part of this scholarship is that the registration is done online and the trials are done in front of a 5 HD Camera set-up with full HD Video Analysis of your performance. 

Benefits of Sports Scholarships

The following are the benefits of sports scholarships:

• Sports scholarships provide a route for students to afford the high fees of educational institutions
• It enable students to take more extracurricular and co-curricular activities
• Many students develop interest in sports and via these pursue their field of interest in professional academies and institutions
• Via these scholarships, students get to experience diverse field and learn new skills that allows holistic development

Excellence in sports can give you an upper hand in paying for your college fees with your athletic talents. Given the ample opportunities for sports scholarships in India, gaining admission or getting a waiver can never be a hindrance in the equal pursuit of sporting success and education. Keep checking Leverage Edu for such awesome content!