Assam starts preparations to host 3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games

Guwahati: After successfully organising several national and international sporting events, Guwahati is now working on to host yet another multi-discipline sporting event – the 3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games in January next year. Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said that the state machinery, including sports bodies, should make the best innovation for successfully organising the Khelo India Youth Games. The first two editions of the games is a part of the revamped national programme for the development of sports was hosted by Delhi and Pune in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Chairing the first high powered review meeting at the conference room of his office in Janata Bhawan, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the state government should leave no stone unturned to make the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games huge success. He said that since Khelo India Youth Games is a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is organised to give opportunity to the budding players and identify the best talents in the sporting arena, every effort should be made to provide state of the art sporting facilities to nine thousand players who will be converging in Guwahati from all across the country. Sonowal asked Director at Sports Authority of India, Assam, Subhash Basumatary to make a complete assessment of all the sports venues including the available infrastructure and take up the refurbishing work at the earliest. Sonowal also said that all the replacement and repair work of all major infrastructures should be taken up immediately and all the venues should be made innovatively ready for the youth games. He also asked the concerned functionary for the constitution of a high-level body to look after different aspects of organising the games. He also asked the Sports Department to give special care in the transportation, immediate medical care and accommodation for the players and other support staff. Since the security of the players is of paramount importance, Sonowal asked Additional Director General of Police Harmeet Kaur and Mukesh Agarwala to make foolproof security arrangement for the games. He also maintained that no lapses should be allowed to be crept in organising the games. Sonowal also asked Sports Department to make all necessary training arrangements to the players to make them competent to win medals for the state. Khelo India Youth Games will feature sports disciplines like archery, basketball, badminton, boxing, football, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kabbadi, khokho, shooting, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling among others.