Anurag Thakur announces Madhya Pradesh as Khelo India Youth Games 2023 venue in a gala event in New Delhi

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: ‘Pradhanmantri Shri Narendra Modi ne hame jo avsar diya hai vah khelo ki disha me Madhya Pradesh me Khel Kranti paida karega.’ – this comment was made by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, soon after Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur formally announced that the upcoming edition of the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 will be held in Madhya Pradesh.The competition is scheduled to start on January 31, 2023 and end on February 11.

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The  Khelo India Youth Games 2023 will feature a total of 27 disciplines; water sports being included for the first time in the history of the games. New disciplines like Canoe Slalom, Kayaking, Canoeing and Rowing will also feature alongside the usual sports and the indigenous games. The Games will take place across eight cities of Madhya Pradesh – Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Mandla, Khargone (Maheshwar) and Balaghat.

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A gala function was organized at Hotel Ashok in the National Capital on Thursday. Around one hundred athletes and coaches of different sports from Madhya Pradesh and other States were present and clapped with full energy throughout the function, which lasted for 90 minutes.

Interesting part was that, Smt. Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, was seen many times, instructing athletes about how and when they have to clap. She has even given the duty to a man to signal the athletes when they have to clap.This move was proved successful as Shri Anurag Thakur appreciated the huge sound of claps during the function. ” The Mallakhamb show was outstanding. I have seen many sporting events as a player, administrater and Minister, but perhaps, hardly any event can match today’s non stop clapping. I don’t think there will be any person present in this hall who has not folded his or her both hands to clap.”

Also present in the event on Thursday morning was Union Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Nisith Pramanik, Secretary Sports, Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, Director General, Sports Authority of India, Shri Sandip Pradhan and other dignitaries from the Union Sports Ministry, Government of Madhya Pradesh and Sports Authority of India.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “I thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister from the bottom of my heart for giving Madhya Pradesh the chance to host the Khelo India Youth Games. We promise to make it the most special Khelo India games ever and host it keeping in mind our philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.

“We have world class sports stadiums in Madhya Pradesh like the shooting and water sports academies. Many other facilities are also coming up. With the growing development in infrastructure and with the privilege of getting to host Khelo India Youth Games, I am certain a sports revolution will take place in Madhya Pradesh,” the Hon’ble CM of Madhya Pradesh added.

The  Khelo India Youth Games 2023 will feature a total of 27 disciplines; water sports being included for the first time in the history of the games. New disciplines like Canoe Slalom, Kayaking, Canoeing and Rowing will also feature alongside the usual sports and the indigenous games. The Games will take place across eight cities of Madhya Pradesh – Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Mandla, Khargone (Maheshwar) and Balaghat.

Mentioning that the indigenous games will once again be a part of the upcoming KIYG, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur said, “It was Hon’ble PM’s vision to support Olympic sports and indigenous sports in the same manner. I thank Madhya Pradesh who have made the sport of Mallakhamb their State sport.

“Sports is a State subject. I am happy States like MP are coming forward to do their part in building our sports ecosystem. All the States should learn from it and understand that we have to contribute as a whole to develop sports from the district level to the State level and so on,” the Hon’ble Union Minister added.

Extending his best wishes, Shri Nisith Pramanik added, “The Madhya Pradesh Govt have done everything possible to support athletes over the years. Every State should take an example how Hon’ble PM’s vision to help athletes reach their pinnacle is taking shape. I am sure this upcoming Khelo India Youth Games in the ‘land of Mahakal’ will be the most special ever.”