Khelo India from today, TN eyes medal century

CHENNAI: The 6th edition of Khelo India Youth Games, the National-level sporting spectacle aimed at identifying and nurturing grassroots sporting talent, will get under way in Chennai with a glittering launch on Friday to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister MK Stalin among others.

This is the first time the event is being organised in a South Indian State. There are several other firsts in this edition: Squash will be played for the first time, and Silambam will be introduced as a demo sport. Tamil Nadu is the first State in the last three editions to host all sporting disciplines. It also boasts the distinction of having the first female mascot, ‘Veera Mangai’.

The games will go on till January 31 with 6,000 sportspersons competing for honours. More than 1,000 referees and 1,200 volunteers will be involved.

Tamil Nadu’s best performance in Khelo India came in the second edition in Pune, finishing with a total of 88 medals. As the host State this time, it will field a larger, 522-member contingent competing across all 26 medal disciplines, and is eyeing to bag a century of medals.

In the previous edition in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu finished eighth with 12 gold, 19 silver, and 21 bronze medals. “In the previous edition, we had restrictions on the number of players based on national rankings; being the host this time allows us to send a larger contingent,” said Chef-de-mission J Mercy Regina.

The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu will provide special tickets to watch the games in Chennai, Tiruchy, Madurai and Coimbatore. Those wanting to watch it live should download the TNSPORTS app and register through www.sdat.tn.gov.in website.