Delhi has begun hosting the 70th National School Games 2026–27, with more than 14,000 players and officials from across India scheduled to participate in 14 sports disciplines across three phases.
Education and Sports Minister Ashish Sood inaugurated the event at Thyagaraj Stadium on Friday. The Games are being organised under the aegis of the School Games Federation of India and hosted by the Sports Branch of the Directorate of Education.
The first phase will be held from October 22 to 28, while the second phase is scheduled from October 30 to November 5. The third phase will take place from January 28 to February 3, 2027. The staggered schedule will allow Delhi to host the national-level school competition across multiple venues and periods.
According to the arrangements announced for the event, participating teams will receive support for playing facilities, medical assistance, accommodation, food and transportation. The scale of the Games places these services alongside sports venues as essential parts of the host city’s event infrastructure.
Addressing participants, Sood said the National School Games were “not merely a competition but a vital means of strengthening the country’s future sports ecosystem”. He said the government aimed to encourage young athletes and support their progress towards national and international competition.
The minister also pointed to changing attitudes towards sport as a career. He said athletes had earlier faced the perception that “if you play sports, you will spoil your future; if you study, you will become successful”, but improved training, facilities and financial incentives were creating better career opportunities in sport.
Sood highlighted Delhi’s sports policy, under which Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallists are eligible for prize money of Rs.7 crore, Rs.5 crore and Rs.3 crore, respectively. He also announced that a new sports complex is being developed in Pitampura at an estimated cost of Rs.100 crore.
The government has increased sports grants for Delhi colleges from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.5 lakh, according to the minister. The higher allocation is intended to support sports activity at college level, although details of the grant’s implementation were not provided in the announcement.
The National School Games follow the Khelo Mahakumbh organised by the Delhi government last year. That event received registrations from more than 16,000 athletes across 17 stadiums and sports complexes.
The current Games will continue through the third phase ending on February 3, 2027. The Directorate of Education’s Sports Branch and the School Games Federation of India are responsible for coordinating the competition and associated arrangements for participating teams.
