Grand opening ceremony to usher in Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Madhya Pradesh

Khel Today Bureau

Bhopal: A grand opening ceremony encompassing all that is glorious about the central Indian state- the heart of India, will usher in the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Madhya Pradesh (KIYG 2022 MP). Shri. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Hon. Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Shri. Anurag Singh Thakur, Hon. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports and Smt. Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Hon. Minister for Sports & Youth Welfare, Government of MP, will be among the dignitaries in attendance at the Tatia Tope (T.T) Nagar stadium in Bhopal, where an audience of over 20,000, will witness a slick 90-minute programme, complete with performances from acclaimed singers Shaan and Neeti Mohan and percussionist of international fame, Sivamani.

The KIYG 2022 MP opening ceremony will be broadcast LIVE on Star Sports from 7pm onwards. Sports enthusiasts and fans can also follow all updates regarding the Games on social media on: Twitter- @MP_DSYW and Instagram- @mpsportsdept

Speaking ahead of the event, Smt. Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Hon. Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs, Government of MP, said, “This is a momentous occasion for sports in Madhya Pradesh and all of us including all the athletes, support staff, MP government officials and the magnanimous people of the state, are looking forward to the opening ceremony and towards hosting and welcoming all contingents from all over the country with open arms. Guided by the vision of the Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. Chief Minister for the state, the opening ceremony will aptly display the glorious culture and history of Madhya Pradesh and we implore all to watch it, live from the venue if they have registered for the free passes or on television, as per their convenience. It promises to be a world class show.”

The fourth edition of the Games will be bringing together over 5000 athletes under the age of 18, from 36 states and union territories of the country and is scheduled between January 30-February 11, 2023. They will traverse eight different cities and 11 venues of Madhya Pradesh (MP) as well as one in Delhi where the track cycling competition is scheduled.

India’s “Youth Olympics” will have 27-sporting disciplines on show as India’s future sporting stars vie for 1936 medals which will be awarded, including 573 gold, 580 silver and 783 bronze medals.

Among the squads, the host state of Madhya Pradesh will boast of having the largest contingent of 474 athletes, while the sporting powerhouse state of Haryana, also the defending champions, have the second largest contingent participating. Besides these two, the states of Maharashtra-two-time winners, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have also sent in large squads. The north-eastern state of Tripura will have the smallest 13 athlete contingent.

The opening ceremony will also see the culmination of the torch relay, which has been criss-crossing the state for the past three weeks. The Smart Torch, a first of its kind for any multi-disciplinary sporting event in India, is complete with a digital screen and contains the holy waters of the revered Narmada river, besides also depicting other prominent identities of the landlocked state, like the famous Mahakaal Temple of Ujjain, among others. 

Post its launch by the Hon. Chief Minister on January 07, 2023, along with the Games mascot Asha the Cheetah and the Games anthem “Hindustan ka Dil Dhadkado”, composed and sung by Shaan, it has travelled all the 52-districts of the state. It will now merge with the main torch at the grand opening, where the flame will stay lit till the conclusion of the Games.

Among some prominent young athletes, who have already made their mark at the national and some even at the international level, to be seen in live action, will be the likes of Shiva Narwal, Nishchal, Swati Chaudhary and Abhinav Shaw in Shooting, Vedaant Madhavan and Apeksha Fernandes in Swimming, female Judoka Laishram Devi and young men’s paddler Soumyadeep Sarkar.