The Khelo India Youth Games is an initiative by the Government of India, which aims to promote sports at the grassroots level. There are two divisions in this national competition: Under 17 (school children) and Under 21 (college-level students). In 2018, New Delhi hosted the first Khelo India Youth Games. The inaugural edition consisted of 17 sports. Over the years, several other sports were added to the lists, including the indigenous games of India. So far, there are six editions of Khelo India Games have been completed, and recently, the 7th edition, or Khelo India Youth Games 2025, also concluded, which was hosted by Bihar from May 4 to May 15, 2025. The national-level games with various sports saw an attendance of over 10000 athletes from 36 states and union territories.
Khelo India Youth Games 2025: An Overview
| Logo |  |
| Opening Date | 4th May 2025 |
| Closing Date | 15th May 2025 |
| Inaugurated by | Narendra Modi |
| Athletes | 8500 |
| Host cities | Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Begusarai (Bihar) |
| Mascot | Gajasimha |
| Champions(2025) | Maharashtra (158 medals) |
| Number of events | 28 sports |
| Broadcasting | Live on DD Sports; streamed online via Prasar Bharati Sports YouTube channel |
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Venue
The Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) were held across five cities in Bihar – Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Begusarai. Also, New Delhi hosted events in shooting, track cycling, and gymnastics.
Major venues were:
- Rajigr Sports Complex, Rajgir
- Indian Institute of Management, Bodh Gaya
- Patliputra Sports Complex, Patna
- Sandy’s Compound Complex, Bhagalpur
- BSAP 5 Indoor Stadium, Patna
- IOCL Barauni and Yamuna Bhagat Stadium , Begusarai
- Bihar Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development-Open Ground, Gaya
- Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi
- IAS Bhawan, Patna
- Gyan Bhawan, Patna
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Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Events
The following is the list of sports events included in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025:
SPORTS EVENT
- Archery
- Cycling
- Kabaddi
- Table Tennis
- Athletics
- Fencing
- Football
- Kho kho
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Field Hockey
- Sepak Takraw (included for the first time)
- Lawn Bowling
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Gymnastics
- Shooting
- Rugby
- Weightlifting
- Boxing
- Judo
- Swimming
- Wrestling
- Mallakhamb
- Gatka
- Kalaripayattu
- Thang Ta
- Yogasana
Note: In the 7th edition, e-sports was also included as a demonstration sport.
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Mascot
The official mascot for the Khelo India Youth Games in 2025 was Gajasimha. It is a mythical creature in Hindu mythology. It is a combination of a lion and an elephant. The elephant represents strength, and the lion represents bravery. Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the mascot.
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Mascot Image
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Medal Tally
The medal tally of the 7th edition Khelo India Youth Games is given below:
| RANK | STATE/UT | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 58 | 47 | 53 | 158 |
| 2 | Haryana | 39 | 27 | 51 | 117 |
| 3 | Rajasthan | 24 | 12 | 24 | 60 |
| 4 | Karnataka | 17 | 26 | 15 | 58 |
| 5 | Delhi | 16 | 20 | 32 | 68 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | 15 | 21 | 29 | 65 |
| 7 | Uttar Pradesh | 14 | 20 | 18 | 52 |
| 8 | Kerala | 12 | 5 | 8 | 25 |
| 9 | Manipur | 11 | 8 | 11 | 30 |
| 10 | Madhya Pradesh | 10 | 9 | 13 | 32 |
| 11 | Assam | 10 | 5 | 10 | 25 |
| 12 | Telangana | 9 | 3 | 11 | 23 |
| 13 | Punjab | 8 | 14 | 25 | 44 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 8 | 7 | 6 | 21 |
| 15 | Bihar | 7 | 11 | 18 | 36 |
| 16 | Chandigarh | 6 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| 17 | Odisha | 5 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| 18 | Andhra Pradesh | 3 | 11 | 10 | 24 |
| 19 | Chhattisgarh | 3 | 1 | 10 | 14 |
| 20 | Uttarakhand | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 |
| 21 | Gujarat | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
| 22 | West Bengal | 1 | 11 | 4 | 16 |
| 23 | Jammu & Kashmir | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 25 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 26 | Mizoram | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 27 | Himachal Pradesh | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 28 | Puducherry | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 29 | Meghalaya | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 29 | Tripura | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 30 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Goa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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