Athlete Welfare First: Dr Mandaviya Launches DigiLocker Sports Certificates to Ease Access and Rewards

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Athlete Welfare First: Athlete welfare isn’t just a slogan anymore — it’s the central pillar of India’s sports policy, declared Hon’ble Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday.

At the launch of a ground-breaking initiative to issue sports certificates via DigiLocker, held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, the Sports Minister unveiled a digital leap set to transform how Indian athletes record, retrieve, and secure their achievements.

In partnership with the Digital India Corporation (DIC), this landmark move empowers National Sports Federations (NSFs) to upload authenticated records of athletes’ national and international performances onto a secure platform. Verified through the National Academic Depository (NAD), these digitally signed certificates will be accessible at the tap of a finger — anytime, anywhere — via the DigiLocker app.

“The (Narendra) Modi government is fully dedicated towards athlete welfare. Whether it is Khelo India or issuance of certificates via DigiLocker, it is meant to make life easier for our esteemed sportspersons,” said Dr Mandaviya. “We have created a comprehensive sports development plan for this. I would request all NSFs to align with this philosophy then only we can achieve the target set by our Hon’ble Prime Minister to successfully stage the Olympic Games in 2036.”

Dr Mandaviya also highlighted the close coordination between the Department of Sports and DIC in preparing for this rollout, revealing that NSF nodal officers were intensively trained to ensure seamless integration.

“Over the past few months, the Department of Sports, in close association with DIC, has worked extensively with NSFs to ensure issuance of sports certificates via DigiLocker. I am happy to share that nodal officers of all NSFs have been trained and on-boarded through intensive workshops and technical sessions,” he added.

Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu praised the initiative, calling it a relief for athletes who often struggle with documentation during job applications, visa processes or government schemes.

“This is a really good scheme for players because we often face a lot of problems, especially related to documents. The issuance of sports certificates by DigiLocker will take a lot of stress away from all sportspersons like me,” said Chanu. “Many times sportspersons have to rush back home for certain documents… I want to thank our Sports Minister on behalf of all players for this initiative.”

Initially, NSFs will upload current season data, with past records to follow. The aim is to upload all verified state-level certificates within six months and district-level within a year. These records will link to the National Sports Repository System (NSRS), ensuring automatic disbursal of Government cash rewards via direct benefit transfer — eliminating the need for athletes to apply manually.

“If everyone has watched him/her win a medal internationally why do they need to apply,” Dr Mandaviya asked. “I don’t want that the athletes have to suffer or face any roadblocks in getting their well-deserved reward.”

The Minister also pledged government support to under-resourced NSFs, offering to facilitate corporate partnerships and office space at the IG Stadium. Reiterating a non-interference stance, he urged NSFs to adopt an athlete-first mindset and resolve internal conflicts to avoid hurting athletes.

To bolster India's Olympic preparedness, the Government plans to upgrade National Centres of Excellence into Olympic Training Centres (OTCs), providing world-class facilities on home soil. Additionally, a Letter of Intent has been sent to the Commonwealth Games Federation for hosting rights of the 2030 edition.

Healing Champions: RTS Division Inaugurated at NCSSR

In another major development, Dr Mandaviya inaugurated the 'Return To Sports’ (RTS) division of the National Centre for Sports Science Research (NCSSR). This new facility is a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary hub that integrates recovery, mental wellbeing, and physical readiness under one roof.

“We have to look at what are the best practices countries like USA, Japan and China follow, if we want to become a sports superpower,” Dr Mandaviya emphasised. “We have to integrate sports science in our functioning.”

From certificates to recovery rooms, India’s sportspersons are getting a 360-degree support system — because in the vision of a sporting superpower, it’s the athlete who stands at the centre.