Telangana Gears Up to Host Khelo India Youth Games 2026; CM Revanth Reddy Reviews Preparations

Hyderabad: Telangana is preparing to host the 8th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games from December 11 to 22, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directing officials to ensure world-class arrangements and maintain the highest quality standards across all venues.

The Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting at the MCRHRD Institute to assess preparations for the prestigious national sporting event. He instructed officials to make comprehensive arrangements and ensure that no compromises are made in infrastructure, facilities or event management.

The state government is treating the games as a significant opportunity to strengthen Telangana’s position as a national sports hub. With the proposed Telangana Sports Policy and the Young India Physical Education and Sports University, the government aims to create a strong sporting ecosystem and identify emerging talent.

During the meeting, Revanth Reddy said the long-term objective was to prepare young athletes to win medals at the Olympic Games. He emphasised that the Khelo India event should be used as an opportunity to provide international-standard infrastructure and world-class coaching facilities to aspiring sportspersons.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to utilise resources and infrastructure being mobilised for the Invest Telangana Global Summit for the sports event. Since attracting investments in sports and sports development is also part of the summit’s agenda, he called for coordinated efforts among departments.

He stressed that sports facilities should be developed on a permanent basis so they remain valuable assets even after the competitions conclude. Group-I officers and trainee officials will be assigned supervisory responsibilities at venues across different districts.

The Chief Minister further instructed officials to ensure quality food and accommodation for athletes and submit weekly progress reports. Considering El Niño-related weather conditions, he advised officials to avoid unnecessary extravagance during the opening and closing ceremonies.

The Khelo India programme has played an important role in identifying grassroots sporting talent and promoting competitive sports across India. Telangana now aims to build on this platform through better infrastructure, institutional support and professional training.

Hosting the Khelo India Youth Games is more than an opportunity to organise a national event; it is a chance to build a lasting sporting culture. Telangana must ensure that investments translate into accessible training facilities, qualified coaches and sustained support for young athletes. The real success of the games will be measured not by the scale of the ceremonies but by the number of talented athletes Telangana produces for national and international competitions, particularly the Olympics.