Khelo India app helps identify future Olympians from a really young age

Khelo India Mobile App, developed by Sports Authority of India (SAI), helps assess the fitness levels of school-going children through a series of tests, and also provides suggestions as to which sports they would be most competent in.

Fitness assessment of children is one of the key features of the application which helps map the basic fitness levels of kids starting as early as 5 years for all school going children in India, and helps identify children who have the potential of being future sports championships.

The sports application is a first-of-its-kind sports application in India. The application also includes information of various sporting facilities available across the country where an interested youngster can pursue a sport, in his or her hometown.

The App can be used to take tests like:

• Body Mass Index for fitness assessment
• Plate Tapping test to assess co-ordination
• Sit and Reach test to assess flexibility
• 600 metre Run/Walk to assess stamina
• 50 metre dash – Standing Start to assess speed
• Partial Curl Ups to assess abdominal muscular strength and endurance
• Plate Tapping test to assess hand-eye co-ordination
• Flamingo Balance Test to assess balance and Push Ups to assess endurance.

Basically, these tests assesses flexibility, co-ordination, muscular strength, endurance, stamina, which are important factors to excel in professional sports.

The tests can be taken by children from ages 5-18 years; the tests are as per different age groups.

Thousands of students across India have already taken the tests (with help of Physical Training Teachers, parents) and their scores have been uploaded into the App.

This central repository of data will help identify children who have the potential to take up sports professionally.

“It is the first time that CBSE has taken up such a structured and scientific-designed programme in sport. I, as a principal, can see the performance of my students, whether it is a class-wise performance or analyzing the performances of one group of students with another,” Meeta Bhandual, principal, Jaypee Public School.

The aim of the fitness application is to create greater awareness about fitness and sports among youngsters, and also to identify the potential sporting champions across India. We really think this initiative will help identify several future Olympians from a really young age.

Khelo India (School Version) on Play Store