New Delhi [India], March 20 (HBTV): The inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) will be held from March 26 to April 6 across three cities in Chhattisgarh — Raipur, Jagdalpur and Sarguja, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Thursday.
The Games will feature seven medal sports — athletics, football, hockey, weightlifting, archery, swimming and wrestling — along with two demonstration sports, mallakhamb and kabaddi. Participants from most states and Union Territories are expected to take part.
'The Khelo India Tribal Games are part of our expanding footprint that offers an opportunity and scope to every young person wanting to play a sport. It is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat, and sports has a massive role to play in that journey,' Mandaviya said.
The logo, theme song and mascot of the first Khelo India Tribal Games were unveiled at the Late B R Yadav Sports Stadium in Bilaspur on December 23, in the presence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao.
Mandaviya emphasised that the Games will help strengthen the talent pool emerging from tribal regions.
'Tapping talent from tribal regions is key, and continuously expanding our athlete base is the need of the hour. We are ensuring that talented youngsters from tribal communities are identified early, supported systematically, and integrated into the national sports framework,' he said.
The KITG 2026 will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India, the Indian Olympic Association, National Sports Federations and the Chhattisgarh state organising committee, with technical standards aligned with international benchmarks.
The official mascot ‘Morveer’ draws from Chhattisgarh’s cultural ethos, combining ‘Mor’, meaning ‘our own’ in Chhattisgarhi, and ‘Veer’, symbolising courage and valour, representing the spirit and identity of tribal communities.
Chhattisgarh becoming the first state to host the event, dedicated exclusively to tribal athletes, marks a significant step in promoting grassroots inclusion and tribal empowerment in India’s sporting landscape.
The Khelo India Tribal Games are part of the Khelo India Scheme, a flagship Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports aimed at promoting mass participation and sporting excellence. The Khelo India Games were declared an ‘Event of National Importance’ in 2020 under the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act, 2007.
(ANI)