Seven Cities, Expanding Sporting Horizons
The competition will be hosted in Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota, and Bharatpur. Following the model of the Khelo India Youth Games held in Bihar earlier this year, the University Games aim to provide a national platform for students to display their sporting talents while fostering camaraderie and sportsmanship.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, emphasized the significance of KIUG as a stepping stone for aspiring athletes. “Universities play a vital role in shaping champions, and KIUG provides young athletes a national stage to showcase their skills,” he said. The Minister highlighted that the event underlines India’s growing sporting ecosystem and inspires students to balance academics with sports.
New Sports and Demonstration Events
This year, the Games will introduce beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking, and cycling as part of the medal sports for the first time. Other medal sports include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, mallakhamb, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, yogasana, among others. Kho-Kho will feature as a demonstration event.
Past Champions and Legacy
In the previous Khelo India University Games held in North-East India, Chandigarh University emerged as the champion, with Lovely Professional University and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar finishing second and third respectively. The Games continue to serve as a talent scouting platform, providing pathways for athletes to excel at national and international levels.
About Khelo India
The Khelo India initiative is a flagship Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It aims to promote sports, talent identification, and development pathways for young athletes across India. Since inception, 20 editions of Khelo India Games have been conducted nationwide, including seven Youth Games, four University Games, five Winter Games, two Para Games, one Beach Games, and one Water Sports Festival. The initiative integrates various stakeholders, including National Sports Federations, School Games Federation of India, and Association of Indian Universities.