Anurag Singh Thakur declares the inaugural Khelo India Para Games

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has announced to start of the first ever Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) on 23 November 2023. This first Khelo India Para Games will be held in New Delhi from 10 December to 17 December 2023.

Objective of organizing Para Games:

• The main objective of organizing Khelo India Para Games is to identify talent and provide a fair opportunity to young and aspiring para athletes to shine.
• This announcement is a major step towards the government's initiative to develop Para Games in the country.
• The event will help in identifying talented para athletes who will be helped to showcase their skills with adequate support from Sports Authority of India and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

7 sports organized:

• In this first Khelo India Para Games, a total of 7 sports competitions will be organized in three stadiums of Sports Authority of India.

More than 1350 participants will participate in the first (KIPG):

• More than 1350 participants from 32 states and union territories, including the Services Sports Control Board are expected to take part in the first-ever Khelo India Para Games which will include Para Athletics, Para Shooting, Para Archery, Para Football, Para Badminton, Para Table Para athletes will compete for honors in 7 disciplines including tennis and para weight lifting. 
• The events will be held in 3 stadiums of Sports Authority of India – IG Stadium, Tughlakabad Shooting Range and JLN Stadium.
• Indian Para athletes performed phenomenally and succeeded in winning 111 medals in the recently concluded Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports emphasized that the aim of Khelo India Para Games will be to provide continuity with the annual event for Para athletes.
• Thakur said that these games have been helpful in identifying talent across the country and have aided India's performance in prestigious multidisciplinary events.

Khelo India scheme has been successful:

• According to Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, ‘Khelo India Scheme’ remains a game-changer for Indian sports. Khelo India Games has played an important role in this scheme.
• A total of 11 Khelo India Games (5 Khelo India Youth Games, 3 Khelo India University Games and 3 Khelo India Winter Games) have been successfully organized since their inception in 2018.
• These games have identified around 1000 talented athletes and many of them have participated in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.