Khelo India Youth Games opens in Haryana

Union Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched the Khelo-2021 Indian Youth Games in Haryana’s Panchkula as the venue was lit up with colorful lights during the session. inauguration.

The fourth edition of the game will be held from June 4 to June 13 and the events will be held not only at Tau Devi Lal Sports Stadium in Panchkula but also in Chandigarh, Ambala, Shahabad and Delhi.

‘Khelo India Youth Games-2021’, jointly organized by government of Haryana and Sports Authority of India (SAI), Ministry of Youth and Sports Union.

More than 4,700 athletes including 2,262 girls will fight for gold and glory in 25 exciting sports including 5 traditional sports such as Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta, Malkhamb and Yogasana.

For the first time in the Khelo Games India, a statewide torch relay was also organized by Haryana. Specially designed canters toured all districts and promoted sports and encouraged children to participate in sports.

The fire was lit after entering the stadium, where the torch relay was lit 25 days earlier. During this time, the athletes took an Olympic-style oath to respect and follow the rules of the game and vowed to uphold the spirit of fair-play.

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At Tau Devi Lal Sports Stadium, the state sports show was set up, where the players were keeping a close eye on the city’s medal-winning cradle and Haryana arena.

In the top-flight arena, from Kapil Dev to Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, other medalists include Olympic athlete and Sports Minister Haryana Sardar Sandeep Singh and Sakshi Malik, Saina Nehwal , Yogeshwar Dutt, Geeta Phogat, Deepa Malik and cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal etc are their success stories being marked.

Notably, in the games, the ancient Indian martial arts competitions ‘Gatka’ are also the focus of attraction when the male and female ‘Gatka’ teams from 16 states will show off their fighting skills.

The National Gatka Association of India, president Harjeet Singh Grewal, said that in addition to 25 games with Olympic status, the martial art of ‘Gatka’ has also become a part of this KIYG.

“It is with great pride that for the first time the Union Sports Department has recognized Gatka as a competitive sport in national sports,” he said, adding a total of 256 Gatka players participated in the events. different will contest 80 medals.

With the start of the games, Haryana continued to dominate for the second day as the Haryana boys and girls beat Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in consecutive sets in the tough event of volleyball.