Khelo India Tribal Games will be held for
the first time in 2026 from March 25 to April 6
¨
Khelo India Tribal Games
will be held for the first time in 2026 from March 25 to April 6.
¨
The first edition will be
held in Chhattisgarh. The games will be hosted in three cities in the state.
¨
The host locations are
Raipur, Jagdalpur, and Surguja.
¨
Seven medal sports will
be part of the competition. These sports include athletics, football, hockey,
weightlifting, archery, swimming, and wrestling.
¨
Two additional sports
will be showcased as demonstration events: Mallakhamb and Kabaddi.
¨
The Games are designed to
increase sports opportunities for tribal youth. Mansukh Mandaviya stated that
this initiative is part of expanding opportunities for young athletes.
¨
The Games logo, theme
song, and mascot were already launched on December 23.
¨
The aim is to integrate
tribal athletes into the national sports system.
¨
The event will be
organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of
India, the Indian Olympic Association, the National Sports Federation, and the
Chhattisgarh State Organizing Committee. The official mascot of the Games is
Morveer.
¨
The word "Mor"
in Chhattisgarhi means "my" or "our." The word
"Veer" signifies bravery and courage.
¨
Chhattisgarh became the
first state to host this event exclusively for tribal athletes.
¨
The Games are organized
under the Khelo India Scheme.
¨ The scheme aims to increase public participation in sports on a large scale. It also focuses on improving the promotion of sports in the country.
¨ The Khelo India Games were declared an event of national importance in 2020 under the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act, 2007.
