If all goes well than Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will have a team of the professional sports person who will represent them at the national level.

As a pilot project, NMMC is the first civic authority to rope in the athletes as their team. Kabaddi, Kho Kho and Shooting Ball are the three games shortlisted by NMMC and will sign up the athletes playing these sports.

 NMMC is planning to rope in 40 players for this pilot project. While there will be 15 players in each team of Kho Kho and Kabaddi there will be 10 players for shooting ball. Ten players each for Kho Kho and Kabaddi and six from shooting ball will be athletes who have already played state, national or university level competitions. Other slots will be filled by the freshers or the district level players.

What is good about this project is that the players will be paid Rs 15,000 per month from NMMC apart from the budget for their kits and training. NMMC has kept an annual budget of Rs 1.80crore for this project which is scheduled to be implemented from July. While this scheme is only for the male athletes as of now, the NMMC has also booked a ground in Airoli for their regular practice session.

This is surely a good move that will encourage youngsters to take up sports professionally. Interested candidates can apply online at www.nmmc.gov.in till April 25. Players will sign contracts for 11 months, which would be extended on merit.