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The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Khelo India Youth Games 2025: Maharashtra bags hat-trick of titles; Bihar impresses on home turf
Maharashtra has, time and again, managed to convince that its on-field prowess isn't a sporting fluke. The seventh edition of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in Bihar was no different, as Maharashtra's Under-18 athletes completed a hat-trick of team championships in the multi-discipline event. The state not only accounted for close to 17 per cent of the medals on offer, but also ensured there was daylight on the tally between itself and second-placed Haryana. Maharashtra's players won 158 medals (58 gold, 47 silver, and 53 bronze), while the runner-up bagged 117 (39 gold, 27 silver, and 51 bronze). Rajasthan finished third with 60 medals (24 gold, 12 silver, and 24 bronze). Maharashtra's gold medals were won across 14 sports, with an overwhelming majority coming from athletics (10), swimming (seven), gymnastics (seven), archery (six), and weightlifting (five). According to a statement from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, most of Maharashtra's standout performers — especially the archers and weightlifters — already train at Khelo India centres or the National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Aurangabad, Patiala, and Sonepat. SAI's talent development team also deserves a hat tip for identifying and nurturing 186 of the 5,071 athletes — 50 per cent of them girls — who participated in these Games. Meanwhile, Bihar, enjoying the privilege of competing in its own backyard, sprang the biggest surprise, significantly improving its rank to 15th after finishing 21st in the previous KIYG in Tamil Nadu. It registered seven gold, 11 silver, and 18 bronze medals. The host recorded a growth of 620 per cent over its showing in 2023, where it won five medals, including two gold, two silver, and one bronze. RELATED | Sports Minister announces multiple Games under Khelo India scheme Raveendran Sankaran, Director General and CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, attributes the roaring success to multiple factors. 'It didn't happen overnight. It took us four years. We initially concentrated on talent scouting. We empanelled the right persons for the right games; Dronacharya and Arjuna awardees from across the country helped us identify talent. For coaching too, we had national and international awardees and Olympians mentoring our kids,' he tells Sportstar. A lot of wrestling's history can be traced back to the akhadas of Haryana. Therefore, it came as no surprise when the state claimed eight of its gold medals in the sport. What's worth further praise is that Haryana's boxers also bagged eight, while its fencers won seven gold medals, indicating the state's foray into non-conventional sporting ecosystems. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary (centre), Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse (right) and Director General and CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, Raveendran Sankaran (centre left), during the closing ceremony of the 'Khelo India Youth Games 2025'. | Photo Credit: PTI Bihar tried something similar. It won both the gold medals on offer in Rugby 7s, a sport in which they have been improving by leaps and bounds for a while now. In fact, less than a month ago, the senior women's team from the state had lifted the trophy at the Nationals. 'I can't compete with Haryana in wrestling in the next 10 or maybe even 20 years. The same is true of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in basketball and volleyball. They are far ahead of us. So, we selected such sports where not only is the potential there in our athletes, but also where the competition is thin. But at the same time, those sports had to be part of the Olympics or Asian Games programme. Like Rugby 7s is part of the Olympics, and we won both titles. We chose games where our medal probability would be higher,' explains Raveendran. India's 🇮🇳 youth didn't just show up—they stole the show at the 7th #KheloIndiaYouthGames in Bihar, smashing numerous youth national and meet records. Congratulations to every athlete and their support staff. #KhelKeRangBiharKeSang@mansukhmandviya@khadseraksha@BSSABihar… — Khelo India (@kheloindia) May 15, 2025 A total of 26 records were broken at KIYG 2025. Girls established eight of these records. Incidentally, five also became national youth records in weightlifting. Sairaj Pardeshi of Maharashtra accounted for three of these records himself, breaching the earlier Snatch, Clean and Jerk, and Total marks in the 81kg category. Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya elucidated how the Khelo India programme, launched on October 14, 2017, will help India realise its Olympic dream. He said, 'Over the past decade, Indian sports have undergone a remarkable transformation. Under the Khelo India initiative, we have created a dynamic and inclusive sporting ecosystem with regular national-level competitions. Tamil Nadu's players pose with medals after winning gold medal in the women's volleyball event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025, at Patliputra Sport Complex, in Patna. | Photo Credit: PTI Taking this vision forward, we will soon introduce a series of Khelo India Games throughout the year, including formats like the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) and others. These events will further strengthen our domestic sports structure and serve as a vital talent pipeline as we gear up for the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the Olympic Games 2036. India is on the move and the youth are at the heart of this sporting revolution.' The Khelo India caravan has hence set up camp in the picturesque Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, where the inaugural KIBG — a landmark event to draw national attention to coastal and beach sports — is currently underway.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Khelo India Youth Games 2025: Bihar bags historic 36 medals
Bihar government's sustained efforts to nurture, promote, and incentivise sporting activities and culture have started paying rich dividends as the state has significantly upped its ranking from 28th position to 15th, winning a record 36 medals at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 in its backyard. The mega sports event concluded on Thursday with Bihar making its presence felt emphatically at the national level, first by successfully organising and subsequently improving its ranking and medals tally. It is Bihar's best ever performance at the KIYG with the state fetching seven gold, 11 silver and 18 bronze medals. Bihar has won two gold medals each in Thang Ta, Rugby, and Athletics and one gold medal in SepakTakraw. It has also witnessed a growth of 620 per cent over the last Khelo India Youth Games held in 2023, where it won five medals including two gold, two silver and one bronze. It was the state's second best performance. Bihar ranked 21st and 24th at the sixth and fifth KIYG respectively, after finishing 28th in all the initial editions of the Games which began in 2018. The state could barely open its account with a bronze medal in the 2018 games. In 2019, it won five medals, including one silver and four bronze but the medals tally increased to nine in 2020. Out of nine medals, the state could win just one gold and silver each and seven bronze medals. READ: Indian Sports Wrap, May 15: Dates of shotgun trials 2 and 3 announced, Khelo India Beach Games to take place in Daman and Diu However, in 2021, Bihar witnessed a sharp decline in its medals tally as it returned home with just two. Bihar's overall medals tally was seven in 2022 and five in 2023. In recent years, the Bihar government has taken umpteen measures to improve the state of sports affairs in Bihar and build infrastructure, creating a favourable environment for sports from the panchayat to the state level. The government has provided other facilities such as national and international coaches, training, and support staff. It has come out with a sports scholarship scheme awarding INR 3 to 20 lakh to different categories of players. Besides, the state government also came out a scheme 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' as per which players winning medals at national and international level get government jobs. The government also came out with another scheme titled 'Mashaal' which is a talent hunt competition to identify, train and hone children's talent at school level to make them compete at national and international level. BSSA DG Raveendran Sankaran said Bihar created history in KIYG as its athletes worked hard in the build-up to the Games. | Photo Credit: RV MOORTHY/The Hindu On Bihar's performance at the KIYG, Bihar State Sports Authority Director General Raveendran Sankaran told the media, 'This is Bihar. We do not write history, rather, we create history. Our talented athletes have given wings to their dreams. It is the outcome of four years of hard work. Athletes were given training by specialised coaches in their fields. Even foreign coaches gave training to the athletes.' The Sports Department and Bihar State Sports Authority were formed to give special attention to the development of sports, Sankaran said, adding that 'our athletes have worked hard for the Games.' The Youth Games had commenced on May 4, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing. On the last day, decisive events for medals in Basketball, Wrestling and Fencing were played at Patna and Rajgir in the Nalanda district. Related Topics Khelo India Youth Games
