PM Declares 3rd Khelo India University Games Open

• 27 May 2023

Why in News?

On 25 May 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the start of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2023 in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow through video conferencing.

Key Points:

• The third edition of Khelo India University Games is being organized in Uttar Pradesh from 25 May to 3 June. The closing ceremony of these games will be held in Varanasi on 3 June .
• More than 4750 athletes from over 200 universities across the country are participating in the 3rd KIUG, who will compete in 21 sports categories.
• The mascot of this edition of Khelo India University Games is 'Jeetu', the state animal of Uttar Pradesh, the reindeer.
• It is known that KIUG has started with the group league game of men's and women's Kabaddi on 23 May 2023 at Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik (SVSP) Stadium, Greater Noida.
• The preliminary rounds & group games of seven other sports- Basketball, Football, Rugby, Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball and Mallakhamb also began on 24 May 2023 at three venues in Lucknow.
• Four cities of the state namely Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Noida will host various sports while Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi will host the shooting event.
• The rowing event to be held at Ramgarh Tal in Gorakhpur will also mark the beginning of water-sports with this KIUG.
• It is known that the Prime Minister has paid a lot of attention to further developing the sports culture in the country and encouraging the youth of the country for sports. Various schemes have been started by the government to support the budding players and efforts have been made to strengthen the sports ecosystem in the country. The organization of Khelo India University Games is another great step in this direction.