Khelo India Games

Decoded: Khelo Bharat Niti & its vision to reshape Indian sports ecosystem

Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 Aims to Transform India's Sports Landscape by Promoting Grassroots Development, Inclusivity, and Infrastructure, with a Long-Term Goal of Hosting the 2036 Olympics

Khelo Bharat Niti may let Indian-origin athletes compete abroad

Players of Indian origin living abroad will be encouraged to play for the country, according to the newly-unveiled National Sports Policy, also referred to as the Khelo Bharat Niti, signalling a departure from the government's earlier stance that only Indian passport holders can represent the country. The ban on Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders from representing the country in 2008 has affected India's growth in sports such as football and tennis. However, the 20-page Khelo Bharat Niti document stated that India will seek Peace & International Cooperation Activities through Sports so that "Sports can serve as a powerful tool for international diplomacy and cooperation." "Wherever feasible, promising and prominent Indian-origin athletes living abroad may be encouraged to come back and play for India at the international level," it states. "Together, these efforts can transform sport into a dynamic tool of cultural diplomacy and nation-building, strengthening the global

Cabinet approves Khelo Bharat Niti to boost India's global sports rank

Calling it a "strategic roadmap" for India's elevation into the top five of world sports, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Khelo Bharat Niti to create "world-class systems" of coaching and athlete support along with a robust administrative set-up to make the country a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics. Previously called the National Sports Policy and introduced for the first time in 1984, the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 will supersede the 2001 policy. It is a "guiding document" to formulate plans and schemes for betterment of the country's sporting ecosystem. "We have used the experience of the last 10 years and the new policy will work towards improvement of sports. Major objective is to make India a top-five sporting nation by 2047. That's the overall objective," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters while unveiling the policy and other cabinet decisions. "The PM has given a different kind of emphasis to sports, especially in rural areas," he ...

Sports Minister Mandaviya inaugurates Khelo India facility in Arunachal

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday reiterated the government's commitment to promote inclusive sports development, especially in remote areas, as he inaugurated a multi-purpose Hall in Kamle district of Arunachal Pradesh The hall, built at a cost of Rs eight crore, is funded by the Central government and will provide infrastructure and training facilities to promote grassroots-level sports in the region. Equipped with modern amenities, the hall will cater to multiple indoor sports including boxing, badminton, judo, wushu, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, table tennis, and volleyball, enabling young athletes from the region to train professionally and compete at national and international levels. "Arunachal Pradesh has immense potential, and through facilities like these, we aim to create opportunities for youth to shine in sports and contribute to nation-building," Mandaviya was quoted as saying in a release. Mandaviya also interacted with local youth and sportspersons,

Khelo India Winter Games 2025 to commence from March 9 in Gulmarg

The Khelo India Winter Games 2025 will begin on March 9 in the world-renowned health resort of Gulmarg, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launching its official website here on Monday. With fresh snowfall, Jammu and Kashmir is set to host the second leg of Khelo India Winter Games 2025 in Gulmarg from March 9 to 12, ensuring a world-class winter sports experience in one of India's premier snow destinations. "The event, initially scheduled for February 22-25, was postponed due to insufficient snowfall," an official said. The chief minister launched the official website for Khelo India Winter Games 2025 (kwig2025.com) at the Civil Secretariat here. Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah extended his best wishes to the organizers and inquired about the arrangements and the finalization of dates for the event. Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul in her presentation said that event will now take place from March 9-12 in Gulmarg. She provided details of the schedule, incl

Khelo India winter games in Kashmir postponed on 'insufficient snowfall'

The second leg of the 5th Khelo India Winter Games, scheduled to begin here on Saturday, has been postponed due to insufficient snowfall in the region. The new dates for the event will be announced once the weather improves and a fresh assessment is completed. "The Jammu and Kashmir leg of the Khelo India Winter Games has been postponed," a sports ministry source told PTI. Gulmarg was scheduled to hold the snow events, including alpine skiing, nordic skiing, ski mountaineering, and snowboarding. Leh hosted the the first phase of the Games in which ice events (hockey and skating) took place from January 23 to 27.

Union Budget: Sports and youth affairs allocation raised by Rs 351 cr

The government's flagship Khelo India programme to scout and nurture athletes at the grassroots level was the biggest beneficiary as the allocation for sports and youth affairs was hiked substantially by Rs 351.98 crore in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Saturday. The ambitious scheme has been allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26. This is Rs 200 crore more than the grant of Rs 800 crore in 2024-25. Overall, the Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports was designated Rs 3,794.30 crore. The increase is substantial considering there is no major sporting event like the Olympics, Commonwealth or Asian Games lined up in the next one year. The assigned amount for assistance to National Sports Federations has also been hiked marginally from Rs 340 crore to Rs 400 crore. India is currently pushing through with an ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games for which a letter of intent has been submitted to the International Olympic

CM Omar Abdullah releases mascot, commemorative souvenir for KIWG in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday unveiled the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 mascot, the snow leopard, symbolising the region's rich biodiversity and commitment to conservation. The Chief Minister also released a commemorative souvenir and launched a multimedia campaign for the event scheduled to be held from February 22 to 25 at Gulmarg in north Kashmir, an official spokesman said. Abdullah reviewed the preparations for the 5th edition of the KIWG during a high-level meeting held here, with the focus on ensuring the successful conduct of the event and strengthening the region's position as a premier destination for winter sports, the spokesman said. The first phase of the event was held in Ladakh from January 23 to 27. Over 1,000 athletes from 35 states, Union Territories and sports boards are expected to participate in competitions such as alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ski mountaineering, snowboarding and a demonstration sportsnowshoe racing. The ..

Gulmarg has become winter sports capital of India: PM Modi at Sonamarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Jammu and Kashmir's skiing resort Gulmarg, which is preparing to host the fifth edition of Khelo India Winter Games, has become the winter sports capital of the country. Modi was addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a strategic 6.4-km tunnel here constructed at a cost of Rs 2,700 crore, which will make tourist resort Sonamarg accessible throughout the year. "Gulmarg has become the winter games capital of India, having hosted four Khelo India Winter Games, with the fifth edition starting next month," the prime minister said after inaugurating the Z-Morh tunnel in Ganderbal district. Highlighting opportunities in sports for youth in Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister mentioned the first international marathon held in Srinagar a few months ago. Modi also recalled the video of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah participating in the marathon and their enthusiastic discussion about it during a meeting in Delhi. Asserting that it was

Khelo India Youth Games 2025 to be held in Bihar: Mansukh Mandaviya

Bihar government has also started developing sports infrastructure in line with the Khelo India campaign, he added

Five more Khelo India Centres to be opened in 5 districts of Odisha

At least five new Khelo India Centres (KICs) under a central scheme will be opened in five districts of Odisha in three disciplines, officials said on Sunday. The new KICs will be opened in Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Nayagarh and Deogarh districts. While the Khelo India Basketball centre will be opened at the Government Queen of the Mission High School in Ganjam district, the Khelo India Kho-Kho centres will be opened at Government SVT High School and RK Government School in the Gajapati and Jharsuguda districts, respectively. The centre for football will be opened at Teleibani PS High School and Narayana Government High School in the Deoghar and Nayagarh districts, respectively. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has recently informed the Odisha government about the opening of the centres after the project was approved by the competent authority on Thursday. The SAI would be given funds to run the centres. The coach or mentors for the proposed five centres in each discipline

Aiming to get India among top five countries in sports by 2047: Mandaviya

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said, as part of the vision of a developed India by 2047, the country aims to be among the top five in the world in the sports arena. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the International Youth Seminar on Rising with Kindness at Kanha Shanti Vanam here, he said India aims to host the 2036 Olympics. "For the vision of the next 25 years for the country's development, we have also made a vision for sports that India aims to host the 2036 Olympics," he said. And when India becomes a developed nation by 2047, the aim is to make the country among the top five in the world in the sports sector, he said. The union minister said they have put in place an ecosystem including Khelo India, built stadiums, brought out schemes like the Targeted Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and projects like KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification) wherein talented sportspersons are identified at school-level itself and trained and the Central government

Mandaviya lauds Manu Bhaker, calls her product of Khelo India ecosystem

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said Manu Bhaker, who became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal in the ongoing Paris Games, is a product of the sporting ecosystem created by the government's flagship Khelo India programme. Bhaker showed tremendous fighting spirit on Sunday to end a 12-year medal drought for shooting at the quadrennial showpiece and put India on Paris Games medal table with her 10m air pistol bronze. "When she met PM Modi (before the Games), she told him that 'the initiative of Khelo India has helped many athletes like myself in shaping our careers' and today, through Khelo India, many athletes are participating in many events," Mandaviya told PTI in an interaction here. Bhaker, who has a plethora of international medals in her cabinet including gold from the world championships, has also been a gold-medallist at the Khelo India Games. "Khelo India has two important flanks, through the KIRTI Project, we are doing talent identification

Khelo India medal winners now eligible for government jobs: Anurag Thakur

Medal winners in all Khelo India competitions will now be eligible for government jobs as per a revised criteria, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday. Thakur said the move is in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "vision of a robust sports ecosystem, nurturing talent at grassroots level and turning sports into a lucrative and viable career option." He said the department of personnel and training, in consultation with the sports ministry, has made "progressive revisions to the eligibility criteria for sportspersons seeking government jobs." "This groundbreaking step now extends eligibility to medal winners from the Khelo India Games -- Youth, University, Para and Winter Games -- to be eligible for government jobs. Additionally, games and events have been clearly defined to ensure inclusivity across various sports," Thakur said in his post on X. "These revised rules mark a significant stride in supporting our athletes in making Bharat a sporting superpower," he

Sports infra worth Rs 3000 cr established under Khelo India: Anurag Thakur

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said that over 300 sporting infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,000 crore have been established under the Khelo India umbrella. Thakur added that Khelo India and Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) had "revolutionised" the sports landscape in India. The minister, while virtually addressing students of a private university in Greater Noida, also described how the Khelo India programme annually adds 1,000 new athletes, providing them with funding for training, accommodation, diet, and a monthly allowance. "Over 300 sporting infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,000 crore have been established under the Khelo India umbrella," the minister was quoted as saying in a press statement. "Even the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) has transformed, providing athletes with foreign exposure, training, and world-class coaching apart from financial support to the tune of Rs 25,000-50,000 per month as out-of-pocket allowance," Thakur told students. He urge

Avalanche hits Gulmarg, all Khelo India Winter Games athletes safe

All the athletes competing in the 4th Khelo India Winter Games here are safe following an avalanche that left a Russian skier dead on Thursday afternoon. The avalanche happened "away from the field of play" and has not resulted in any change in schedule of the KIWG that began on Wednesday and will conclude on February 25. "The avalanche that hit Gulmarg earlier this afternoon has not impacted athletes at the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 at Kangdoori Phase 1," said a Khelo India official. He added that all necessary precautions were in place for the safety of athletes and officials. "The avalanche happened at Phase 2 beyond the ridge and away from the field of play. All necessary precautions have been taken for safety," he added. Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council secretary Nuzhat Gull also said all athletes participating in the KIWG were safe. "All Khelo India athletes are safe after the avalanche hit Khilanmarg area of Gulmarg... All the fixtures are being run as per ...

Assam's world-class sports venues to spice up Khelo India Varsity Games

The Nehru Stadium, situated in the heart of the city, has been a witness to a number of mouth-watering contests in both cricket and football over the years

Best thing about Budget is Rs 45 cr boost for sports ministry: Gagan Narang

The ministry's flagship programme, Khelo India, was allotted Rs 900 crore, an increase of Rs 20 crore from the previous budget

Govt working to host 2036 Olympic Games: PM Modi at Khelo India Youth Games

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government is striving to host the 2036 Olympic Games, provide international exposure to sports persons and making India the hub of global sports ecosystem. Inaugurating the Khelo India Youth Games 2023, Modi said in the last 10 years, his government has ended the 'games in sports' alluding to allegations of corruption and irregularities related to sports, during the UPA regime. Many were surprised about had happened after 2014 and Indian athletes have improved their performance. India achieved its best performance in Tokyo and paralympics, created history in Asian games and Asian para games. In the last 10 years, the "government brought reforms, sportspersons performed and the entire sports scene transformed," he said. Never was there any shortage in sporting talent and passion but in the last 10 years they have got new self-confidence, government support in every step, he added. So many sportspersons from Tamil Nadu are 'doing won

Chennai Traffic Police issues advisory as PM Modi inaugurates Khelo India

PM Modi inaugurated Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The traffic disruptions will take place between 3 pm to 8 pm on Friday