Why is it in the News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently declared the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 open at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

What is Khelo India?

• The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grassroots level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establishing India as a great sporting nation.
• Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.

About the Khelo India Youth Games 2023:

• The 6th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games is being hosted by Tamil Nadu, marking the first occurrence of the Games in South India.
• Spanning from January 19th to 31st, 2024, the event will unfold across four cities in Tamil Nadu – Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, and Coimbatore.
• With over 5600 athletes participating in more than 275 competitive events spanning 26 sports disciplines and one demo sport, this edition introduces Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, as a demo sport and includes Squash for the first time.
  • Archery, athletics, badminton, and squash have been introduced first time in this edition.
• The mascot, 'Veera Mangai,' pays tribute to Rani Velu Nachiyar, an Indian queen who courageously resisted British colonial rule.
• The logo integrates the image of the poet Thiruvalluvar.
• Objectives: The overarching objective of the Khelo India Youth Games is to rejuvenate India's grassroots sports culture, aiming to build a robust framework for all sports and position the nation as a prominent sporting entity.
• Organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the Games have been an annual tradition since their inception in 2018 in Delhi.