Softball to debut at Khelo India Youth Games; sailing included as demonstration
Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday announced the full schedule for the Khelo India Youth Games 2026, which will be held in Telangana from December 11 to 22. The programme will see softball included as a competitive sport for the first time while sailing will be staged as a demonstration event.
Khelo India Youth Games, described by organisers as a flagship event of the sports ministry, will use multiple venues in Hyderabad including the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium complex in Basheerbagh and the Gachibowli sports complex to stage 22 medal sports. The remaining medal events will be hosted outside Hyderabad: Khammam (archery), Hanumankonda (athletics), Karimnagar (judo), Nizamabad (table tennis) and Mahbubnagar (kabaddi). Close to 6000 athletes and 1800 support staff are expected to participate in the 12-day sports carnival, which Telangana will host for the first time in the Khelo India series.
"I am very excited to announce the schedule of Khelo India Youth Games 2026. This will kick off a series of Khelo India events that have over the years provided a platform for talented athletes to showcase their prowess and then traverse on the pathway to excellence through our schemes. Since KIYG are coming at the back of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, we can expect to see some quality performances," said Mandaviya.
Softball will make its debut as a competitive sport while sailing has been included for the first time in the KIYG programme. It will be a demonstration event. "Our PM Narendra Modi has said that the sporting ecosystem must expand in such a way that we participate in greater number of sports at the Olympics. PM Modi also said that we must promote sports played using our natural resources like seas and mountains. Sailing is one such sport and we are extremely happy that our sailors will be part of the Games and help promote their sport," said Dr Mandaviya.
The previous edition of the Khelo India Youth Games were held in Bihar from May 3-15, 2025. Maharashtra defended their Khelo India Youth Games title after topping the medals tally with 58 gold medals, 47 silver and 53 bronze. It was their fifth KIYG title and the third on the trot. Haryana, who have won two KIYG titles, finished second with 39 gold medals, 27 silver and 51 bronze, while Rajasthan were third with 24 gold, 12 silver and 24 bronze medals.
As many as 26 records were created in the Bihar edition. Eight were created by girls, out of which five were national youth records in weightlifting.
The 27 sports in the competitive category for the Telangana Games are: Archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, gatka, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kalarippayattu, kho-kho, mallakhamb, rowing, shooting, swimming, softball, table tennis, tennis, thang ta, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and yogasana.
The programme comprises 27 competitive sports and one demonstration event. The Khelo India Youth Games will be staged in Telangana from December 11 to 22.