Athletes and sports enthusiasts are in peak mode, as the 6th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 is all set to start in Chennai, Tamil Nadu from January 19-31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the Chief Guest for the opening ceremony which will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai at 6 pm on Friday, January 19. Notably, this is the first time that Khelo India Youth Games are being held in South India.Over 5,600 athletes will be participating in this edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, spread across 13 days in 15 venues with 26 sporting disciplines, over 275 competitive events, and 1 demo sport will be happening in four cities in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Trichy.
The 26 sporting disciplines are a diverse mix of conventional sports such as Football, Volleyball, Badminton, etc., and traditional sports such as Kalaripayattu, Gatka, Thang ta, Kabaddi, and Yogasana. Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in the history of the Khelo India Youth Games.