The Khelo India Youth Games will bring nearly 6,000 athletes and 1,800 support staff to Telangana when its eighth edition begins on December 11, with competitions spread across Hyderabad and five other cities. The 12-day event will feature 27 competitive sports and sailing as a demonstration event.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the programme on Monday. Hyderabad will host 22 sports at venues including the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium complex in Basheerbagh and the Gachibowli sports complex. The remaining competitions will be held in Khammam, Hanumankonda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar.
The multi-city format places the event’s operational load beyond the host city. Athletes, support staff and event personnel will have to be accommodated and moved between separate urban centres, while each host location will use its sports facilities for competition. The announcement did not provide details on transport arrangements, accommodation capacity or venue-wise schedules.
Rowing will replace rugby in the competitive programme. Telangana, which is hosting the Games for the first time, selected rowing instead of rugby, the sport included by Bihar when it hosted the previous edition.
Softball will make its debut as a competitive sport. Sailing has also been added to the Khelo India Youth Games programme for the first time, although it will initially be held as a demonstration event.
Mandaviya said the inclusion of sailing was aligned with the government’s objective of expanding India’s sporting ecosystem and promoting sports associated with natural resources such as seas and mountains. “Sailing is one such sport and we are extremely happy that our sailors will be part of the Games and help promote their sport,” he said.
The Hyderabad edition follows the previous Khelo India Youth Games, held in May last year. Maharashtra retained the title after winning 58 gold, 47 silver and 53 bronze medals. Haryana finished second with 39 gold, 27 silver and 51 bronze medals, while Rajasthan was third with 24 gold, 12 silver and 24 bronze medals.
The previous edition also produced 26 records, including eight set by girls. Five of those were national youth records in weightlifting, according to the announcement.
The competitive programme in Telangana will include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, gatka, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kalarippayattu, kho-kho, mallakhamb, rowing, shooting, swimming, softball, table tennis, tennis, thang ta, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and yogasana. The participating cities and venues will host the events as the Games proceed through their 12-day schedule.
