The third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, set to take place in Guwahati from January 10 to 22, will see Maharashtra and hosts Assam fielding the largest contingents. Assam’s Chief De Mission, Navajyoti Basumatary, expressed excitement about their participation in all disciplines and disclosed that the state will showcase 656 athletes in the competition. Basumatary hopes for a record-breaking performance and believes that the home crowd will provide a significant boost to their competitors. He also highlighted their strong teams in boxing, swimming, football, cycling, and shooting, expressing optimism about winning medals in these categories and inspiring the youth of Assam to embrace sports.
Meanwhile, defending champions Maharashtra will enter the Games with an impressive 751-strong contingent. Chef De Mission Vijay Santan revealed their intention to defend their title and emphasized their participation in almost all disciplines. Santan identified athletics, boxing, and swimming as Maharashtra’s standout areas. The Maharashtra government has taken the unique initiative of booking flight tickets for all the athletes, demonstrating the importance they place on the Khelo India Youth Games. Santan said that this competition holds great prestige for their team and expressed confidence in their chances of securing another championship victory.