The second edition of Khelo India, university-level games, will be held at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru from March 5, 2022, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to inaugurate the 12-day event.
Minister for Sports and Youth Empowerment K.C. Narayana Gowda and Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan chaired a meeting with officials and decided to invite Mr. Modi to the inaugural ceremony of the event, official sources said.
A total of 3,182 sportspersons from 158 universities across India would participate in the event. Khelo India would have 18 sporting events.
It was estimated that around ₹40 crore would be required for arranging various facilities, including accommodation, transport, sport equipment, and food during the event. The State and Union governments were expected to equally share the expenditures of the event. Various committees would be set up to conduct the event in a grand manner. An executive committee would be set up under the chairmanship of Dr. Gowda, sources said.
The State government had submitted proposals to the Centre seeking financial support for developing sports infrastructure. The concluding ceremony of the event would be held on Jain University campus in Bengaluru.
The inaugural Khelo India university games were held in Odisha in February 2020. The games have been introduced to revive sports culture in the country at the grassroots.