New Delhi, Aug 3 - Sports minister M.S. Gill Monday called upon the states to provide higher budgetary support to sports and also avail themselves of the maximum assistance under the Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA).

Gill, who was addressing a conference of the State Ministers of Youth Affairs and Sports here, assured the states that he would take up the matter of introducing a centrally sponsored scheme for urban sports infrastructure with the Planning Commission and the finance ministry.

The issues discussed in the conference were expansion of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) to the remaining 122 districts in the country, formulation of a new scheme for creating voluntary National Youth Corps and expansion of Youth Hostels.

Gill assured early action with regard to expansion of NYKS.

The states also demanded higher deployment of Sports Authority of India (SAI) coaches and opening of more SAI centres.