GS Paper II: Government Policies & Interventions, Sports & Affairs |
Why in News?
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 at the NDS Stadium in Leh. The event marks a significant step towards promoting winter sports in India.
Key Highlights of Khelo India Winter Games 2025
- The fifth edition of Khelo India Winter Games 2025 is being held at Leh and Gulmarg in two phases.
- Inaugural Phase: The Khelo India Winter Games 2025 commenced in Leh, Ladakh from January 23 to 27.
- This was focussed on Ice Sports like Ice Hockey and Ice Skating.
- This phase was held at NDS Stadium, Guphuk Pond, and LSRC Army Rink.
- Second Phase: The second chapter will take place from February 22 to 25, 2025 in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir.
- This will focus on Snow Sports such as Ski Mountaineering, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, and Nordic Skiing.
- This phase will be held at Kangdoori Phase 1 and Golf Course Club.
- Participants: Over 1200 participants will compete in this youth game.
- This will include 700+ athletes, 141 support staff, and 113 technical officials.
- 136 medals are up for grabs across various events.
- Total 19 teams are participating.
- Significant Collaboration: For the first time, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in partnership with Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Sports Federations, and the Indian Olympic Association, is overseeing the technical conduct of the games.
Khelo India Winter Games: Overview
The Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) are India’s premier multi-sport winter competition aimed at discovering young talent. The primary objective of this event is to encourage mass participation in winter sports and identify excellence at the grassroots level.
- Introduction: Khelo India Winter Games were introduced in 2020 after the success of other Khelo India events organised in India.
- These sports are held in two primary formats: Ice Sports (Ice Hockey, Ice Skating) and Snow Sports (Skiing, Snowboarding, etc.).
- The Winter Games are held in two main locations: Leh, Ladakh and Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir.
- These games are organized under the Khelo India Program.
- Organized by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
- Featured Sports: The Khelo India Winter Games includes various winter sports competitions: Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Snow Rugby, Nordic Skiing, Snow Mountain Climbing, Snowshoe Running, Ice Stock Sport, Snow Baseball.
- Editions of Khelo India Winter Games
- 2020 Edition: The first edition of the Khelo India Winter Games was held in 2020. This Edition was held from 25th February to 11th March 2020, with a total of 955 participants competing in 17 sports. It was jointly hosted in Gulmarg and Leh.
- 2021 Edition: This was the second edition. The 2021 edition was held in Gulmarg from 26th February to 2nd March with 1375 athletes.
- 2022-2023 Edition: The third edition in 2022-2023 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held in Gulmarg from 10th to 14th February 2023. The competition saw 1500+ athletes participating.
- 2024 Edition: The fourth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games were held in 2024 across Leh and Gulmarg. Over 500 athletes participated in this edition. The events took place from February 2 to 6 in Leh and from February 21 to 25 in Gulmarg.
Introduction and History of Khelo India Program
The Khelo India Program is an initiative designed to revolutionize the sports culture in India by creating a robust framework for sports at the grassroots level and establishing India as a great sporting nation. This program aims to promote sports and physical fitness across the country.
- Origins of the Khelo India Program:
- The program was proposed by the Indian Government in 2017 as a response to the need to revive India’s sports culture and promote sports at the grassroots level.
- It was officially launched in Delhi in 2018 by Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the then Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This marks the beginning of a national movement to encourage children and youth to engage in sports and physical activities.
- Expansion:
- The Khelo India Scheme follows the Gujarati “Khel Mahakumbh” model, which includes participation from schools and universities across the country, fostering a nationwide sports competition involving 27 states.
- The Khelo India School Games, the program’s flagship event, was inaugurated in 2018 in New Delhi. This marked the first step in bringing together the country’s youth to compete and develop sports talent.
- Later the initiative brought together various programs to support athlete development, including the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan, Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme, and National Sports Talent Search Scheme.
- In 2019, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) partnered with the Khelo India Initiative. This leads to the rebranding of the Khelo India School Games into the Khelo India Youth Games.
- After this Khelo India Winter Games were introduced, with the first edition held in 2020 in Leh and Gulmarg to promote winter sports like Ice Hockey and Skiing among the youth.
- After this the Khelo India University Games was introduced and had its first edition in 2020 at KIIT, Odisha. This event specifically targeted university students, further expanding the scope of the program.
Key Components of Khelo India Program
The Khelo India Program encompasses 12 critical components designed to transform India’s sports landscape and promote inclusive growth in athletics.
- Sports Infrastructure Development: Focus on creating and upgrading sports facilities across the country.
- Annual Competitions: Organizing competitive events to encourage mass participation and talent identification.
- Support for Academies: Enhancing national, regional, and state-level sports academies.
- Promotion of Sports for PWDs: Fostering opportunities for persons with disabilities.
- Community Coaching Development: Expanding coaching programs to support local talent.
- Talent Identification and Development: Nurturing young athletes from the grassroots.
- Fitness for School Children: Promoting physical fitness among school-going children.
- Sports for Peace and Development: Using sports as a tool for social change.
- State-Level Khelo India Centres: Establishing regional centres to encourage local participation.
- Women in Sports: Ensuring greater inclusion of women in sports.
- Rural and Indigenous Sports: Promoting traditional and tribal games.
Main Objectives of Khelo India Program
The Khelo India Program is designed to transform India’s sports culture and provide young athletes with the resources they need to excel. Its objectives go beyond just promoting sports.
- Promoting Excellence: The primary goal of the program is to promote “Excellence in Sports” as well as “Sports for All.” It seeks to inspire and encourage youth participation in sports to eny that every child across the nation has access to quality sports opportunities. Through structured competitions, it aims to attract large-scale youth involvement at various levels, from district to state and national levels.
- Identifying and Nurturing Talent: One of the key aspects of the program is to identify talented athletes at all levels—be it district, township, or state. Under this scheme selected athletes are given annual financial support of ₹5 lakh for 8 years to ensure their long-term development and providing them with the resources to pursue their athletic ambitions without financial burden.
- Building Sports Infrastructure: Sports infrastructure is a core focus, with the goal of developing high-quality facilities at all levels of competition. The program places significant emphasis on improving coaching systems across the country to ensure that athletes receive proper guidance, training, and support from skilled coaches.
- Sustainable Sports Ecosystem: The program aims to create a sustainable sports ecosystem that not only supports athletes but also promotes sports culture at the grassroots. It encourages public-private collaboration to improve existing sports academies, while simultaneously creating new opportunities for athletes to excel.
Impact of Khelo India Program on India’s Sports Development
The Khelo India Program has become a transformative initiative, revitalizing India’s sports culture and creating a robust foundation for young athletes. It has ensured that opportunities are accessible to athletes across various disciplines and demographics.
- Empowering Young Athletes: Each year, the program identifies and funds 1,000 talented young athletes from diverse sports disciplines. These athletes receive an annual scholarship of ₹5 lakh for 8 years, this ensures long-term support for their growth. By nurturing talent at the grassroots, the program has provided a platform for underprivileged youth to excel in sports rather than unproductive activities.
- Building Sports Infrastructure: The program supports the development of stadiums, sports grounds, and training facilities across the nation. It has also designated 20 universities as “Centers of Excellence,” to enable young athletes to combine education and competitive sports. These initiatives ensure access to world-class infrastructure, benefiting athletes at all levels.
- Promoting Inclusivity and Diversity in Sports: Khelo India has introduced programs to support women athletes and empower them to showcase their talent on equal footing. Additionally, the program offers enhanced training facilities and financial assistance to differently-abled athletes (PwDs), fostering an inclusive environment in Indian sports.
- Encouraging Nationwide Participation: Through initiatives like the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, and Winter Games, young athletes, especially those under the ages of 17 and 18, are provided a platform to compete at the national level. These events have not only uncovered exceptional talent but have also strengthened India’s sports ecosystem by encouraging mass participation.
UPSC Previous Year’s Questions (PYQs) Question (2023): Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards:
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Ans: (d)
Question (2023): Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022:
How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Ans: (c) |
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