Shri Nisith Pramanik, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, praised the Uttar Pradesh Government for hosting the third edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG). During his visit to various venues in Lucknow, following the spectacular Opening Ceremony at B.B.D. University grounds, Shri Pramanik commended the efforts put into organizing the event.
Speaking at the B.B.D Badminton Academy, alongside Shri Navneet Sehgal, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Sports, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Pramanik congratulated the state government for hosting the Khelo India University Games on such a grand scale. He highlighted the record-breaking participation in the games, with nearly 4,700 athletes from over 200 universities, including 206 universities, competing in 21 sporting disciplines. The inclusion of water sports in Gorakhpur and the multi-city hosting of the games in a state for the first time were also noted.
Shri Pramanik expressed his belief that the platform provided by the Khelo India University Games would contribute to the vision of developing India into a sporting nation, as envisioned by the Honorable Prime Minister. He thanked the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and all state government officials involved for their enthusiasm in organizing the games, evident in the splendid opening ceremony.
The Minister highlighted several new initiatives introduced in the current edition of the Khelo India University Games. This includes a dedicated website and app for athletes to handle various aspects such as accommodation and entry through face-recognition technology. Additionally, athletes can access their certification immediately after the completion of the games through a Digi-locker.
The Khelo India University Games 2022 Uttar Pradesh (KIUG 2022 UP) was officially declared open by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 25, 2023, through a virtual ceremony. The competitions began on May 23, 2023, with Kabaddi group stage matches at Greater Noida’s Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik (SVSP) stadium. The first gold medal of the event was won by Aneesh Gowda from Christ University Bengaluru in the 400m Freestyle event in Swimming at the SVSP stadium.