The 5th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) was inaugurated in Bhopal by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The premier multi-disciplinary sporting event in India, the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) stepped into its 5th year in 2023. The event is scheduled to be held at 23 venues across eight cities of Madhy Pradesh- Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur Mandla, Balaghat and Khargone (Maheshwar), while the cycling event will take place in Delhi.

There will be nearly 6,000 athletes taking part in 27 different sports. For the first time, sports like Kayaking, Canoeing, Canoe Slalom and Fencing will be part of the KIYG. A total of 303 international and 1,089 national officials will be part of this year’s Games and nearly 2,000 volunteers are deployed at different venues for hassle-free organization.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the event at the Tatya Tope stadium in Bhopal. “The Khelo India Youth Games will be historic in Madhya Pradesh,” Chouhan said after inaugurating the event. He also congratulated India U-19 women’s team for winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned a budget of Rs 3,200 crore for the Khelo India programme for the next five years. Madhya Pradesh Sports Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia was also present on the occasion.