Key points
- The eighth Khelo India Youth Games will take place in Telangana from December 11 to 22, 2026, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on November 9.
- The 12-day event will feature 27 competitive sports and sailing as a demonstration event.
- Around 6,000 athletes and 1,800 support staff are expected to participate.
- Hyderabad will host 22 medal sports, with competitions also scheduled in Khammam, Hanumakonda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar.
- Softball will make its debut as a competitive sport at the Games, while rowing replaces rugby in the competitive programme.
- The 2025 edition in Bihar was topped by Maharashtra with 58 gold, 47 silver and 53 bronze medals.
Telangana will host the eighth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games from December 11 to 22, 2026, with around 6,000 athletes expected to compete across 27 sports. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya announced the full schedule on Monday, November 9, confirming a 12-day programme that will bring competitions to Hyderabad and five other cities in the state.
The Games will feature 27 competitive sports and one demonstration event. Around 1,800 support staff are also expected to be part of the event. Telangana is hosting the Khelo India Youth Games for the first time, with Hyderabad set to stage the largest share of competitions and district venues taking responsibility for selected disciplines.
Dates, host cities and competition format
The event will run from December 11 to 22. Hyderabad will host 22 medal sports across venues that include the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium complex in Basheerbagh and the Gachibowli sports complex. The programme will extend beyond the state capital to Khammam, Hanumakonda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar.
The allocation of events across several cities is intended to use Telangana’s wider sports infrastructure and take the national youth competition to different parts of the state. According to the Sports Authority of Telangana’s venue directory, the programme includes facilities such as the LB Stadium, Gachibowli Sports Complex and indoor venues in Hyderabad, alongside district stadiums for archery, athletics, judo, table tennis and kabaddi.
Full list of 27 competitive sports
The 2026 edition will include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, gatka, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kalarippayattu, kho-kho, mallakhamb, rowing, shooting, swimming, softball, table tennis, tennis, thang ta, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and yogasana.
Softball will make its debut as a competitive discipline at the Khelo India Youth Games. Rowing has replaced rugby in the competitive programme, following the choice made by Telangana as the host state. Sailing will also be part of the event for the first time, but it will be staged as a demonstration sport and will not be among the 27 medal disciplines.
Mandaviya said the Games provide a platform for talented athletes to demonstrate their ability and move towards higher levels of sporting performance. He also highlighted the importance of expanding the range of sports in India and promoting disciplines connected with natural resources, including sailing.
Where the events will be held
Hyderabad will stage the bulk of the competitions, with 22 medal sports spread across several venues. The district-wise allocation announced for the remaining events is archery in Khammam, athletics in Hanumakonda, judo in Karimnagar, table tennis in Nizamabad and kabaddi in Mahbubnagar.
The Sports Authority of Telangana venue directory lists the Sardar Patel Stadium in Khammam for archery, Jawaharlal Nehru Outdoor Stadium in Hanamkonda for athletics, Dr Ambedkar Stadium in Karimnagar for judo, Khel Bharathi Indoor Stadium in Nizamabad for table tennis and the District Sports Authority Stadium in Mahbubnagar for kabaddi. In Hyderabad, listed facilities include LB Stadium, Gachibowli Sports Complex, the KVBR Indoor Stadium in Yousufguda, the cycling velodrome at Osmania University and water-sports facilities at Hussain Sagar.
What the previous edition tells us
The previous Khelo India Youth Games were held in Bihar from May 3 to 15, 2025. Maharashtra topped the medal table with 58 gold, 47 silver and 53 bronze medals, finishing ahead of Haryana and Rajasthan. The title was Maharashtra’s fifth at the Games and its third in succession.
Haryana finished second with 39 gold, 27 silver and 51 bronze medals, while Rajasthan took third place with 24 gold, 12 silver and 24 bronze medals. The Bihar edition also saw 26 records being set. Eight of those records were achieved by girls, including five national youth records in weightlifting.
A major platform for India’s next generation
The Khelo India Youth Games are part of the national effort to identify and support emerging sporting talent. The 2026 edition will bring athletes from across the country into a multi-sport competition environment, giving young competitors the opportunity to measure themselves against peers from other states and build experience in a national-level event.
The scale of the expected participation, the addition of softball and the inclusion of sailing as a demonstration event give this edition several points of interest. The spread of venues also places responsibility on Telangana’s organisers to coordinate transport, accommodation, competition facilities and event operations across six host cities.
With the schedule now announced, attention will turn to final preparations and the athletes who secure places in their respective disciplines. The Games begin in Hyderabad and other Telangana venues on December 11 and conclude on December 22, closing a significant year for the country’s grassroots sporting calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Khelo India Youth Games 2026 be held?
The eighth Khelo India Youth Games will take place from December 11 to 22, 2026. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the full schedule on November 9. The 12-day event will be hosted by Telangana across Hyderabad and five other cities.
Where will the Khelo India Youth Games 2026 take place?
Telangana will host the Games, with Hyderabad staging 22 medal sports. Selected events will also be held in Khammam for archery, Hanumakonda for athletics, Karimnagar for judo, Nizamabad for table tennis and Mahbubnagar for kabaddi.
How many sports are included in Khelo India Youth Games 2026?
The programme has 27 competitive sports and one demonstration event. Softball makes its debut as a competitive sport, while sailing is included as a demonstration event. Rowing has replaced rugby in the competitive programme for this edition.
How many athletes are expected at the 2026 Khelo India Youth Games?
Around 6,000 athletes and 1,800 support staff are expected to take part in the 12-day event. The competition will bring young athletes from across India to venues in Hyderabad and five other Telangana cities.
Which sports will be held outside Hyderabad?
The district allocations announced for the Games include archery in Khammam, athletics in Hanumakonda, judo in Karimnagar, table tennis in Nizamabad and kabaddi in Mahbubnagar. Hyderabad will host the other 22 medal sports.
Who topped the medal table at the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games?
Maharashtra won the 2025 edition in Bihar with 58 gold, 47 silver and 53 bronze medals. Haryana finished second with 39 gold, 27 silver and 51 bronze, while Rajasthan placed third with 24 gold, 12 silver and 24 bronze medals.