Telangana gears up to host Khelo India Youth Games from December 11

Telangana is gearing up to host the eighth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) from December 11 to 22, with more than 7,500 young athletes expected to participate in competitions across 27 sports.

The Games will be conducted in six cities — Hyderabad, Warangal, Hanumakonda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Mahabubnagar — with over 1,500 support staff, 1,000 technical officials and more than 200 VIPs expected to be part of the event.

Hyderabad will host competitions in 23 disciplines, while the remaining events will be spread across the district centres. Athletics will be held in Hanumakonda, Judo in Karimnagar, Archery in Khammam, Kabaddi in Mahabubnagar and Table Tennis in Nizamabad.

Rowing has been selected as Telangana’s host-State choice sport, while Sailing will be the demonstration sport. The Hussain Sagar water sports facility is expected to be a major attraction, hosting rowing, kayaking and canoeing events.

Competitions will also be held at the Gachibowli Stadium, LB Stadium, indoor stadium at Saroornagar, JNTUH and Secunderabad, and the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Stadium in Yousufguda.

The State government has identified 12 upgradation and development works at 10 venues in Hyderabad and three district host cities. The works include improvements to athlete changing rooms, spectator facilities and washroom blocks, besides upgrades to swimming pools, cycling tracks, shooting ranges and other field-of-play facilities.

The opening ceremony is likely to be held at the Gachibowli Stadium on December 11, while the closing ceremony could be organised at the Tennis Complex in the LB Stadium on December 22.

Five committees have been constituted for the overall governance of the Games. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will chair the Organising Committee, while Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya will be the co-chairperson. A separate high-level committee will oversee accommodation, catering and transportation for athletes and guests.

The State government has stepped up preparations as part of its broader effort to position Telangana as a major sports and international events destination. The State has hosted several high-profile events in recent years, including the Telangana Rising Global Summit, Miss World pageant, BioAsia, Bharat Summit and BRICS-related events.

The KIYG preparations also come in the wake of the Telangana Sports Policy 2025, unveiled by Mr. Revanth Reddy in August last year with the stated objective of creating an ecosystem capable of producing Olympic medal winners and positioning Telangana as a global sports leader. The State is also promoting the Young India Physical Education & Sports University and digital-first fitness initiatives aimed at engaging younger generations.

The Chief Minister is understood to have taken a keen interest in bringing the Games to Telangana and followed up on the proposal during his visits to New Delhi, including discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers. Sources said Mr. Modi was likely to attend the Games in December as the chief guest.