The 7th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) was conducted from May 4 to May 15, 2025, with the event being conducted in Bihar for the first time. The national multi-sport event featured more than 10,000 competitors from 36 states and union territories competing in 28 sports, ranging from the traditional Indian games to esports as a demonstration sport.
What Are Khelo India Youth Games?
Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) are the national-level multidisciplinary, grassroots games of India conducted on a yearly basis during January or February for two age groups, that is, under-17 years school students and under-21 college students. The best 1,000 children are awarded a yearly scholarship of ₹5 lakh (US$5,900) for 8 years to make them ready for international sports events.
The Trainers program took place from December 2018 to January 2019 during the first phase. A total of 160 young athletes trained in 4 groups of 40 from December to January. It will be held semi-annually or quarterly to train teachers, principals, vice-principals, and physical education trainers who would like to be involved.
History of Khelo India Youth Games
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Khelo India School Games at the Indira Gandhi Arena on 31 January 2018. The ceremony followed the guru-shishya tradition. Starting from the 2019 event, the Khelo India School Games have been called Khelo India Youth Games since the Indian Olympic Association earned the status of being a member of the subject from earlier in September 2018.
The second Khelo India Youth Games, initiated by the Sports Minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, allowed for the presence of the Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis to be present at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi, Pune.
On 27 February 2019, PM Narendra Modi launched the Khelo India App at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, during the Youth Indian Parliament for sport and fitness promotion. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, officially launched the first edition of the Khelo India University Games in Cuttack on 22 February 2020. This event aims to give athletes exposure as student-athletes in a multi-disciplinary environment.
Selection criteria
- Eligibility is for school children up to 17 years old.
- In the individual events, the top 8 athletes from the SGFI National School Games will be selected, including four from the federation, one from the Central Board of Secondary Education, one from the host state, and two wild-card entries, both for the individual event.
- In team events, the best 4 athletes from the National School Games will be chosen, along with 2 federation entries, 1 from the host state, and 1 from the organizing committee.
- In archery, badminton, and shooting, the top 16 athletes from the National School Games will be chosen, along with 8 from the federations.
- Additional wild card entries will include 1 from CBSE, 1 from the host state, 1 from the organizing committee, and 6 wild card entries.
Talent Hunt and Scholarship Under Khelo India Youth Games
Every sport has a specific talent hunt committee tasked with finding the talent at the grassroots level, and they will choose the top 2 sportspersons per sport who will be awarded a yearly scholarship of INR 500,000 for 8 years. Medalists in all Khelo India competitions can receive government jobs, according to another criterion.
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Khelo India Youth Games 2025: Overview
Venues
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 took place over five locations in Bihar: Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Begusarai. (Competitions in shooting, gymnastics, and track cycling were also taking place in New Delhi.)
Major venues were:
- Patliputra Sports Complex, Patna
- BSAP 5 Indoor Stadium, Patna
- Rajgir Sports Complex, Rajgir
- Indian Institute of Management, Bodh Gaya
- Sandy’s Compound Complex, Bhagalpur
- IOCL Barauni and Yamuna Bhagat Stadium, Begusarai
- Bihar Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development-Open Ground, Gaya
- Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi
- Other centers were the IAS Bhawan for tennis and the Gyan Bhawan for wrestling in Patna, etc.
Inauguration
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 on 4 May 2025. The opening ceremony was held at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna. The event sought to advance sports culture and infrastructure development in Bihar.
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Medals Tally
| Rank | State/UT | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 58 | 47 | 53 | 158 |
| 2 | Haryana | 39 | 27 | 51 | 117 |
| 3 | Rajasthan | 24 | 12 | 24 | 60 |
| 4 | Karnataka | 17 | 26 | 15 | 58 |
| 5 | Delhi | 16 | 20 | 32 | 68 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | 15 | 21 | 29 | 65 |
| 7 | Uttar Pradesh | 14 | 20 | 18 | 52 |
| 8 | Kerala | 12 | 5 | 8 | 25 |
| 9 | Manipur | 11 | 8 | 11 | 30 |
| 10 | Madhya Pradesh | 10 | 9 | 13 | 32 |
| 11 | Assam | 10 | 5 | 10 | 25 |
| 12 | Telangana | 9 | 3 | 11 | 23 |
| 13 | Punjab | 8 | 14 | 25 | 44 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 8 | 7 | 6 | 21 |
| 15 | Bihar (*Host) | 7 | 11 | 18 | 36 |
| 16 | Chandigarh | 6 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| 17 | Odisha | 5 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| 18 | Andhra Pradesh | 3 | 11 | 10 | 24 |
| 19 | Chhattisgarh | 3 | 1 | 10 | 14 |
| 20 | Uttarakhand | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 |
| 21 | Gujarat | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
| 22 | West Bengal | 1 | 11 | 4 | 16 |
| 23 | Jammu & Kashmir | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 25 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 26 | Mizoram | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 27 | Himachal Pradesh | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 28 | Puducherry | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 29 | Meghalaya | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 29 | Tripura | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 30 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Goa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Notable Performances
- Samuel Zadeng from Mizoram won gold in the boys’ 70kg category, marking the first medal for Mizoram in this edition.
- Harshal Joge from Maharashtra won gold in the boys’ 800 meters event, boosting Maharashtra’s medal count.
- Anjali Rawat from Madhya Pradesh Won a gold medal in Thang-Ta (Phunaba Ama 56 kg category).
- Khushi Yadav from Bihar won the girls’ 2000m steeplechase in 9:52.10.
- Aisengfa Gogoi from Assam Shattered the national youth record in the 55kg weightlifting event with a total lift of 183kg.
