New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the seventh Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 through a virtual ceremony one Sunday, which became a historic occasion because it happened in Bihar for the first time. At the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with athletes and dignitaries while applauding both the rising Indian sports culture and the IPL-record-breaking performance of local cricket player Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who is 14 years old.
Every Indian witnessed the outstanding IPL cricket performance of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who hails from Bihar. The Prime Minister praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi for establishing this notable milestone in his youth career period. The skill behind his playing emerges from his training, but his time on various playing levels helped him develop his talent. During his praise of the Khelo India platform, the Prime Minister emphasised its significance for developing young talent by stating, “Jo jitna khelega, wo utna khilega” (The more one plays, the more they will bloom).
The energetic inaugural ceremonies attracted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar together with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, as well as actor Pankaj Tripathi, to display Bihar’s cultural heritage. A group of 137 Gaya-based Buddhist monks joined the performance, which granted Bihar two Guinness World Records—one for the largest Madhubani painting and the largest ensemble of singing bowls by monks from Bodh Gaya.
#WATCH | PM Modi virtually addresses the inauguration event of Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar’s Patna.
PM Modi says, “We all have seen the outstanding performance of the son of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, in IPL. Vaiabhav has created such a big record at this young age. Behind… pic.twitter.com/XnBSDoIyvl
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2025
The Prime Minister argued that sports function as a national unifying force by asking athletes to spread Bihar’s litti-chokha and makhana cuisine and traditions as representatives of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”. The Indian government aims to bring the 2036 Olympic Games to India and KIYG serves as a building block toward this objective. According to his perspective, one major factor determines how soft power strengthens in India, and that is the expansion of this sporting environment.
The Khelo India Youth Games 2025 will span from May 4 to May 15 as over 6,000 athletes from 36 states and union territories participate in 27 sports throughout Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Begusarai and Delhi. The opening day launched the competitive stage of the 284 gold medal events, with archery and kabaddi together with volleyball as the first three sports. Bihar has entered the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games with around 450 athletes looking to surpass its 2024 21st position after learning from the prior KIYG successes of Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
The Prime Minister highlighted government support for sports infrastructure development and mentioned the three-fold increase of the sports budget to ₹4,000 crore and the establishment of over three dozen Khelo India Centres and a State Centre of Excellence in Rajgir, as well as the planned Sports City development along the Patna-Gaya highway. Modi declared that India actively carries sports programmes to youth populations rather than sitting and hoping for them to initiate.
Bihar stands as the main attraction for the upcoming KIYG 2025 since it will showcase young talent while demonstrating how the state is evolving as a major player in India’s sports industry. The message carried forward by Modi to the watching nation declared that India’s promising youth will excel through commitment and available opportunities.
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