Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) – Indian Governments Flagship Grassroots Talent Hunt Programme
The revamped ‘Khelo India—National Programme for Development of Sports’ intends to develop the whole sports ecosystem in order to promote the dual national goals of public participation and sports excellence across the country.
The Khelo India programs are the Indian government’s flagship program to enhance India’s sports culture at the grassroots level through organised talent discovery, organised athletic tournaments, and infrastructure development.
Three types of events were introduced under the Khelo India Programme:
- Khelo India School Games,
- Khelo India University Games,
- Khelo India Winter Games.
In this blog, we will be taking you through the ins and outs of the Khelo India Youth Games.
So without further ado, let’s begin.
What is the Khelo India Youth Games?
Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), formerly known as Khelo India School Games (KISG), is a pan-Indian multi-disciplinary sports competition for the country’s under-18 young talents.
KIYG currently has 22 sports and five indigenous sports under its belt. Under the Khelo India Program, every year, 1000 kids are selected for a scholarship program and trained to become medal winners and promote the growth of sports at the grassroots level.
When was it first inaugurated?
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji unveiled the first edition of the KIYG at the Indira Gandhi Arena, in New Delhi, on January 21, 2018. Later in February 2020, Shri Modiji launched the first-ever Khelo India University Games (KIUG) at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), in Cuttack, Odisha.
When the first Khelo India Youth Games were played, students competed for 209 gold medals across 16 sports. It was played at different venues, which were as follows: –
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium: Athletics, Football, Kho-Kho, and Weightlifting
- Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Complex: Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Gymnastics, Judo, Kabaddi, Volleyball, and Wrestling.
- Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex: Swimming
- Dhyan Chand National Stadium: Hockey
- Karni Singh Shooting Range: Shooting
Also Read:- Khelo India : Investment in the future…..
Where is the Khelo India Youth Games headquarters located?
The headquarters of the Khelo India Games is located at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
What is the Khelo India program’s motto?
The Khelo India Youth Games motto is “Kheloge Kudoge banoge Lajawaab.” Khelo India aims to harness the tremendous potential in the country in sports, inspire young talent, give them top-notch infrastructure facilities, and train them at the highest level so that they can bring laurels to the country. It also aims to revive the sports culture in the country and establish a strong framework for all sports.
What are the various Khelo India verticals?
There are five verticals under the Khelo India program and they are as follows:
- Creation and Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure
- Sports Competitions and Talent Development
- Khelo India Centers and Sports Academies
- Fit India Movement
- Promotion of Inclusiveness through Sports
Check our article on :- India’s Highest Ever Sports Budget In Financial Year 2023-2024: ₹3,397.32 Crore
What is the duration of the Khelo India Scholarship, and how much is the scholarship amount?
Each athlete is chosen for the scholarship for an eight-year period. Every year, the best 1000 athletes (two from each event) are given an annual scholarship of ₹5 lakh for 8 years.
How many games are there in the Khelo India Youth Games?
The first edition of KIYG, held in Delhi in 2018, had 16 sports. During the Pune games in 2019, 18 sports were played. In 2020 Guwahati, 20 sports were played, in 2021 Panchkula, 25 sports were played and in 2022 Bhopal, 27 sports were played. In the Khelo India Youth Games 2022, water sports such as kayaking, canoeing, and slalom were also included for the first time.
What is the Khelo India Youth Games age limit?
The age limit for participating in KIYG is 18 years old. And only the chosen school students are allowed to compete.
Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Medal Tally
The fifth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 ended on a high note on February 11, 2023. More than 5,000 athletes competed in the games, held in nine venues across eight cities in Madhya Pradesh and one city in New Delhi. They won a total of 973 medals – 295 Gold, 295 Silver, and 383 Bronze.
Maharashtra was at the top of the scoreboard with 56 Gold, 55 Silver, and 50 Bronze medals. The runners-up Haryana won 41 Golds, 32 Silvers, and 55 Bronze medals.
Which states have had the most success in the Khelo India Youth Games?
Maharashtra has so far been the most successful state at the KIYG. They have won 2019, 2020, and 2022 editions of KIYG and ended up as runners-up in the 2018 and 2021 editions.
Haryana is the second-most successful state, having finished first in the inaugural edition in 2018 and runners-up in the 2019, 2020, and 2022 editions. Delhi has consistently finished third in 2018, 2019, and 2020 editions of KIYG. However, in 2021, Karnataka came in third; in 2022, Madhya Pradesh finished third.
Sporting talents like Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary, Anshu Malik, and Srihari Nataraj are some of the finds of Khelo India who have already represented India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics proving that these initiatives will bring better yields.
With the current work done by the Sports Authority of India and the Government of India, it looks certain that Khelo India will continue to provide more athletes who will not only represent India at an international level but also be podium finishers.
Also check- India: Emerging As A Multi-Sporting Country!
Conclusion
This was a brief about the Khelo India Youth Games and the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 medal tally. Click here to watch a video on one of our students’ experience of working at the recently concluded Khelo India Youth Games 2022.
