The second edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) will be held in Karnataka later this year. The dates of the nine-day event are expected to be finalised soon.
The announcement was made on Sunday by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju. As many as 150 universities from across India are expected to take part in the event for women and men aged under 25. It will feature 19 sports.
Bengaluru’s Jain University’s global campus and other venues in the State, in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities, will host the event. This year, yogasana and mallakhamb have been added to the games in a bid to preserve and promote these native sports.
Mr. Yediyurappa said the State was privileged to host the KIUG and the government would make all efforts to ensure its success. Around 6,000 people, including sportspersons and officials, are expected to arrive for the event.
Mr. Rijiju underlined the importance of university-level athletes to nurture talent. “We need a sustained, focussed plan to identify talent from universities, and I am happy that we have been able to do that with the KIUG,” he said.
