The fifth Khelo India University Games (KIUG) will be held in 7 cities of Rajasthan from November 24. The host cities are Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota and Bharatpur. The 12-day event will feature 23 medal sports and one demonstration sport – Kho-Kho, bringing together more than 5,000 university athletes from across the country.
Announcing the event, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya said, the Rajasthan edition will highlight India’s expanding sporting landscape and will be a stepping stone to glory for many who aspire to represent the nation globally. He said under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Khelo India initiative has built a strong ecosystem that fosters participation, talent development and excellence. Dr Mandaviya said, University Games in Rajasthan will inspire thousands of students to pursue sports alongside academics and strengthen the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ through competition and camaraderie.
The medal sports this year include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, mallakhamb, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, yogasana, cycling, beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking. Kho-kho will be featured as a demonstration event. Notably, beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking, and cycling are being introduced in the KIUG programme for the first time.
