New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is rewriting its sporting legacy, clocking a record 159 medals in 2024–25, the highest tally in its history. In a landmark move aimed at nurturing grassroots talent, the force has also kicked off its largest-ever sports recruitment drive, drawing an overwhelming 12,868 applications nationwide.
The medal surge included a standout haul of 66 medals at the World Police and Fire Games 2025 in Birmingham, USA — a performance that significantly boosted India’s overall tally. To honour these achievements, DG CISF felicitated the athletes at the headquarters in New Delhi on Monday.
Officials credit this transformation to a raft of targeted initiatives: sports funding has seen a six-fold jump to `6 crore, special diet allowance extended to 300 days annually, improved travel allowances, new gyms, injury management facilities, and dedicated tournament calendars. Notably, an AIG-level officer now directly oversees day-to-day sporting development, while the force is also assembling its first-ever mountaineering team targeting Mount Everest in 2026.
The nationwide recruitment drive, running until July 29 across 14 selection centres, aims to induct 433 fresh talents, including 229 women. Thirteen new teams will emerge in disciplines like lawn tennis, archery, fencing, rowing and martial arts. Among the applicants are 350 international and nearly 4,000 national medal winners, with interest spanning from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to the tribal belts of Chhattisgarh and the Northeast — underlining CISF’s inclusive, grassroots approach.
