India Unveils Year-Round Khelo India Calendar to Strengthen Grassroots Sports Ecosystem

New Delhi: In a major push to deepen the reach of sports across all corners of the country, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) has launched a comprehensive Annual Sports Calendar under the flagship Khelo India initiative. This initiative marks a strategic shift toward structured, year-round engagement with young athletes and reflects the government’s vision of transforming India into a global sporting powerhouse.

Announcing the calendar, Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya described it as “a strategic blueprint” rather than a mere schedule. “Over the past decade, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian sports have witnessed a remarkable transformation. This calendar will now build on that momentum by strengthening the domestic competition structure and identifying young talent across the nation,” he said.

The calendar outlines a year-long series of competitions under various formats, including the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, Para Games, and Winter Games, as well as several new additions such as the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG), School Games (KISG), Water Sports, North-East Games, Tribal Games, and Martial Art and Swadeshi Games.

Special focus has been placed on the Khelo India School Games, which will follow a tiered model starting from the district level, progressing to state and national levels. This tiered structure is designed to give young athletes early exposure to high-quality competition, mirroring international standards and ensuring a robust pipeline of future sports stars.

Other formats such as the Khelo India Martial Art Games and Swadeshi Games aim to mainstream indigenous sports and martial arts that have long-standing cultural significance. These initiatives are expected to spotlight disciplines that have been underrepresented at the national level.

Each Khelo India event will have designated Host States or Union Territories, with an emphasis on building sports infrastructure and boosting local capacity. This model also promises to enhance sports tourism, create local jobs, and foster economic development in host regions.

Recent events under the Khelo India banner have already demonstrated the initiative’s success and reach:

• The Khelo India Winter Games were held in Jammu & Kashmir and Gulmarg (Jan–Feb 2025).
• The Khelo India Para Games took place in Delhi (Mar–Apr 2025).
• The Khelo India Youth Games were hosted in Bihar (May 2025), cementing the state’s growing stature in Indian sports.

Adding further momentum, the first edition of the Khelo India Beach Games is set to be held in Diu from May 19 to 25, bringing national attention to coastal and beach sports while promoting the region’s tourism potential.

The remaining 2025 calendar includes:

• School Games (Aug–Dec, across India)
• University Games (Mar–Apr)
• Water Sports and North-East Games (May–Jun)
• Tribal Games (Sep, Chhattisgarh)
• Martial Art and Swadeshi Games (Jul–Aug, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh)

Complementing these are initiatives like the Fit India Carnival (Feb, Delhi), ASMITA Leagues, and Peace & Development League, which aim to further promote fitness, inclusion, and peace through sport.

The Ministry emphasized that this calendar has been developed with insights from past editions, with considerations of seasonal, geographic, and sport-specific factors. The events are designed not only to identify and nurture talent but also to attract media visibility, sponsor interest, and youth mobilization.

“With a strategic, year-round competition framework and pan-India outreach, we are preparing India’s youth for the global stage,” said Dr. Mandaviya. “These events will be critical as India sets its sights on the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the Olympics 2036.”