
Khelo India University Games To Be Held In Jaipur In November
"I am extremely happy to announce that the Khelo India University Games will take place in Rajasthan in November 2025. These Games are for under-25 athletes and will be coming after the under-18 Khelo India Youth Games that took place in Bihar in May this year. These Games offer great opportunity for athletes who seek a national platform to impress our numerous scouts eyeing the best talents in the country,' said Union sports and youth affairs minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
"Worldwide, university students dominate multi-sport events. In Rajasthan, we hope to see some quality performances as we expect the athletes will be at their peak."
Chandigarh University had won the team championships at KIUG 2024, co-hosted by Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura.
Lovely Professional University came second while Amritsar's Guru Nanak Dev University was third.
A total of 770 medals -- 240 gold, 240 silver and 290 bronze -- were on offer in the 2024 edition, held in North-east India for the first time.
Over 200 universities competed for 11 days in the KIUG 2024 with around 4,500 athletes taking part in 20 sports.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
43 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Mysuru MP seeks indigenous sports academies in Mysuru, Kodagu
MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has urged the Union government to establish dedicated sports academies for indigenous games in the Mysuru-Kodagu region of Karnataka, highlighting the need to preserve and promote traditional sporting practices. Raising the matter under Rule 377 in Parliament, Mr. Yaduveer said Mysuru and Kodagu have a rich sporting heritage ranging from Vajra Musti wrestling and Mallakhamba in Mysuru to the globally renowned hockey tradition of Kodagu, along with Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and yoga-based fitness disciplines that are deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of the region. 'These sports are not only part of our history but also integral to our identity and community life,' he added. He pointed out that the absence of structured training facilities, scientific coaching, and dedicated infrastructure to these indigenous sports has led to a steady decline in youth participation. Establishing specialised sports academies with modern infrastructure, trained coaches, and talent identification programmes, he said, would help revive these traditions, nurture local talent, and prepare athletes for national and international competitions. 'I urge the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to immediately sanction and establish regional sports academies in Mysore and Kodagu dedicated to indigenous games, integrating them into the Khelo India framework and ensuring sustained funding and promotion,' Mr. Yaduveer appealed.


NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
Srinagar's Dal Lake To Host First-Ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival
The first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival is all set to reveal the iconic Dal Lake in a new avatar. Jammu and Kashmir's quest to emerge as a sporting destination will get a major boost when Dal Lake hosts the Water Games, its maiden major national-level Open competition, from August 21-23. More than 400 athletes from 36 states and Union Territories will be taking part in three medal events - rowing, kayaking and canoeing. The Union sports ministry's endeavour to promote sports activities in Jammu and Kashmir has already established Gulmarg as a top winter sports hub. The ski resort has already hosted five iterations of the Khelo India Winter Games, and now Dal Lake will be aspiring to become a water sports destination, as per a press release from SAI Media. For decades, Dal Lake has remained central to Kashmir tourism, art, and culture. With the hosting of the maiden Khelo India Water Sports Festival, the lake is ready to add to its credentials as a national treasure. The KIWSF is being jointly hosted by the Sports Authority of India and the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council. The Union sports ministry's national sports policy, the Khelo Bharat Niti, is giving new hope to athletes, coaches and the overall sports ecosystem. The policy will not only enable promotion of sports but also bolster commercial benefits for stakeholders associated with the ecosystem. Particularly, the House Boats owners are really looking forward to the Games. "This is not just an event--it is the beginning of a new era for water sports in our country. On behalf of all athletes, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sports minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, and the entire Khelo India team for making water sports a priority and giving it the recognition it truly deserves," said Bilquis Mir, a well-known name in the world of canoeing and kayaking and an Olympic judge. The Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 will also showcase three demonstration events -- water skiing, dragon boat race, and the crowd-favorite shikara sprint. This has generated enthusiasm both among the segments of society around Dal Lake as well as water sports athletes. But there are bigger aspirations lurking around the KIWSF. For example, Mohsin Ali, a young water sports athlete, is preparing to participate in the kayaking event. He is a J-K state champion and has won 15 medals, including three gold medals at the national events. Ali, like many others, is training hard. "I am hopeful of fetching a gold medal at these games that we are hosting," he said. "When I started paddling here as a 10-year-old in the 1990s, I dreamt of one day representing India. That dream came true when I became the first woman from India to participate in a World Cup," says Biquis Mir, adding, "I am confident that this event will be thrilling and will serve as a great inspiration for our young athletes who dream of representing India on the biggest stage." There are more voices that see the water sports festival as a game-changer. Muhammad Imtiyaz, a water sports coach, said: "It was the Khelo India Winter Sports Games that turned Gulmarg into the winter sports hub in the country. Similarly, Khelo India Water Sports Festival will bring Jammu and Kashmir into the consciousness of the water sports athletes across the country," he said. For Dal Lake, the festival is both a sporting milestone and a civic statement. The lake is a living water body, which is protected, managed, and celebrated as central to culture, livelihoods, ecology, and water sports. The different government agencies have also stepped up the lake management with activities like deweeding to meet the demands of both ecology and the event. Dal's cultural signatures have been woven into the Khelo India Water Sports Festival's design language, with the mascot featuring the Himalayan Kingfisher, a bird that can be found looking for its prey in the waters of Dal Lake, and the logo featuring a Shikara on the Dal Lake. Muhammad Rafiq Malla, a Shikarawalla who ferries tourists in his boat and is himself a water sports athlete, is excited about the Khelo India Water Sports Festival. "The Khelo India Water Sports Festival will not only offer opportunities to sports enthusiasts but also to people living in Dal Lake like me," he said. "While I would love to watch the young water sports athletes coming from all over the country to participate in the Khelo India Water Sports Festival in Dal Lake, I would also like to see these athletes enjoy their visit in Jammu and Kashmir and explore the Dal Lake's vibrant interiors, watch Dal dwellers carry lotus flowers and vegetables from floating gardens in their wicker baskets and be mesmerized by the Zabarwan range," added Mall. The first Khelo India water sports carnival is set to broaden the Khelo India footprint beyond stadium sports into landscapes like mountains in Gulmarg, coastal beaches in Diu, and now highland lakes in Jammu and Kashmir. So, when sports athletes and officials from all over the country step into Dal Lake to participate in the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025, they will step not just into a sporting arena but also into an amphitheatre that will promote the lake as a national asset.


The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
National Sports Governance Bill lowers eligibility rule to one term in EC for NSF leadership aspirants
Aspirants for the top positions in national federations will be required to serve just one term in the Executive Committee, instead of the 'overly restrictive' eligibility rule of two terms prescribed earlier, as the Sports Ministry wants to encourage 'younger administrators and athlete-leaders'. The National Sports Governance Bill, which was passed by the Parliament last week and now awaits the presidential assent to formally become an act, lays down the criteria for seeking election to the positions of President, Secretary and Treasurer in the National Sports Federations (NSFs). It originally mandated two terms in the Executive Committee for anyone aspiring for the top three posts. This provision has been relaxed through an amendment, making it a minimum of one term after consultations with stakeholders. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in an interview to PTI after the passing of the amended bill last week, said the change creates the balance needed to ensure a bigger competitive field of administrators. 'The decision to reduce the minimum prior term requirement for contesting federation elections was guided by the principle of broadening the pool of eligible and capable candidates, while still ensuring they have sufficient experience to serve effectively,' he reasoned. 'In consultations, several stakeholders, including athlete representatives and smaller federations, highlighted that overly restrictive eligibility rules tended to entrench incumbents and limit opportunities for fresh leadership,' Mandaviya pointed out. The relaxation ensures that current Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P T Usha and All India Football Federation chief Kalyan Chaubey will be able to seek a re-election if they decide. Both have served one term in the Executive Committees of their respective bodies. The revised provision also makes room for presidents, secretaries and treasurers in state bodies to stake claim for leadership roles in the NSFs, widening the scope of competition at election time. The Minister said reducing the minimum term requirement in the EC would ensure that a wider talent base is available without compromising on the principles of continuity and experience. 'In some cases, talented administrators and former athletes with strong governance potential were unable to contest simply because they had not served a full earlier term on the Executive Committee. 'The amendment strikes a balance by keeping an experience requirement to preserve continuity and institutional memory, but lowering the threshold so that federations can draw from a wider range of candidates, including younger administrators and athlete-leaders,' he said. ALSO READ | Balancing autonomy and reform key challenge for Sports Governance Bill 'This change is intended to encourage infusion of new perspectives, foster healthy competition in leadership contests, and reduce the concentration of power that often comes from closed eligibility rules,' he added. The sports bill, which had been waiting in the wings for over a decade, was passed after extensive consultations held over one year. It not just lays down governance criteria but also mandates the creation of a National Sports Tribunal for speedy dispute resolution. In addition, it also calls for the creation of a National Sports Election Panel to oversee NSF polls that are often mired in controversies.