New Delhi: The Chef de Missions of all states participating in the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games arrived in Guwahati for a pre-tournament meeting on Wednesday. On Thursday, they will take a look at the infrastructure readied by the organisers for the competition.
The third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games is slated to be held from 10 January 2020 to 22 January 2020. The athletes will compete in a total of 20 sports including new additions – lawn bowls and cycling. Over 10,000 athletes, officials and support staff will hit the ground running across eight venues during the tournament.
“We have more than 100 per cent support, guidance and cooperation from the state government to host the Khelo India Youth Games. Be it finance or manpower deployment, the chief minister has always cooperated with us. The government of India is also supporting us and since both, the government of India and state government are on the same page, it is our duty to host the Games in the best possible manner,” said Avinash Joshi, CEO Khelo India Youth Games.
The preparations for the tournament are in full swing with a welcome desk being organised at railway stations, bus stands and Guwahati airport. There will be a helpline number for accommodation, catering and meals during the event for all athletes.
During the pre-tournament meeting, Rohit Bhardwaj, Secretary, Sports Authority of India, expressed the hope that next year’s Khelo India Youth Games will be bigger and better.
“Guwahati has the experience of hosting world-class events and I am confident that the Khelo India Games 2020 will be an even bigger spectacle than the previous editions. The Sports Authority of India’s motto for this edition is – a better experience for the players. We want the players to feel that there was a difference from previous editions once they finish the competition. We are trying to get an official airline partner for this year,” said Rohit Bhardwaj.
The Chef de Missions of Maharashtra and Haryana are confident that the athletes from their states will rise to the occasion.
Vijay Sharma, Directorate of Sports & Youth affairs Maharashtra (Chef de Mission Maharashtra) said “we are very excited about the Khelo India Games this season, being the defending champions there are even more expectations from us to perform. Our state athletes have been in top-notch form and are preparing well for the games. I have no doubts that our athletes will give it their best and make the state proud again.”
Arun Kant, Director- Director, Dept. Of Sports & Youth Affairs (Chef de Mission Haryana) said “the state of Haryana has always been one of the best when it comes to sports. Khelo India Games has been a tremendous platform for young budding talents to showcase their skill and now we have the likes of Saurabh Chaudhary from Haryana who is winning laurels for our country. Assam is a great location for sports and the facilities here are world-class so I think it is going to be very exciting to see all the states vying for top honours.”
