Khelo India Youth Games 2025: Esports Takes Center Stage in Bihar

Bihar is all set to organize the 7th Edition of the Khelo India Youth Games with Esports making its debut as a demonstrative sport on the 6th and 7th of May in 2025. 

Khelo India is a flagship program launched by the Government of India. It aims to identify sporting talent in the country, promote sports at the grassroots level, and develop sports infrastructure. This initiative is an important step towards strengthening the sports culture in India.

This event will play an important role in increasing awareness about sports in Bihar and giving a new dimension to the sports culture. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi & Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with other dignitaries will be inaugurating this event on 4th May.

Esports Gets National Recognition 

Esports is also now finally getting its recognition in both State and National Level stages. Often confused with Real Money Gaming and luck-based games, which fall under MEITY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) Esports is a state subject, where individual records will be more important according to the Government. 

"Esports is also a sport now. It belongs to the Ministry of Sports. RMG belongs to MEITY. Just like Hockey, Wrestling and Boxing among others. Esports is also a priority sport now. We have made a good and working structure for the government. While UNIV Esports is the driving factor of this, the decision-making is still with the Government" said Diptanshu from UNIV Esports

Popular games like BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, eFootball Mobile & eFootball Console are already a part of the game pool of KIYG this year with more games like Tennis Clash to be added in the future as well. It is obvious that BGMI is basically PUBG Mobile internationally and the rest of these titles are already a part of the Olympic Esports Series, India is focusing on training these top e-athletes for the Las Angeles Olympics which is scheduled to take place in 2028.






















 

Bihar was the first state to officially host an open Esports Championship in 2023 & 2024 now followed up by Arunachal Esports Open Championship, Maharashtra Esports Open Championship, Mizoram Esports Open Championship, Tamil Nadu Esports Open Championship, Telangana Esports Open Championship and Himachal Pradesh Esports Open Championship in 2025. 

 

Top Gaming Personalities in Attendance

No gaming event is complete without having the stars from this industry on the ground. There will be live performances, award ceremonies & and meet-and-greet for the crowd turning up at the venue. Here’s a complete list of gaming personalities expected at the Khelo India Youth Games : 

1. MortaL
2. Sc0ut
3. Destro
4. Saumraj
5. AnkiiBot
7.Spero
8.Fyxs
9. Darshita

10.Vaadhiyar
11. Tomboy

No Sponsor Logos on Merchandise and Team Names are allowed

Players will be representing their respective states in the official merchandising of the KIYG, which will have no Sponsor Logos or any kind of branding on the kit. This is the first time where 7+ States will have their teams for different Esports game titles and these e-athletes will only be promoting their State’s Name in the competition. 
 

The National Esports Championship

There’s more to be announced of course, but for that, we will have to wait for an official announcement to take place, probably on the 6th or 7th of May, 2025 straight from the grounds of Bihar.
 

 

Schedule and List of Sports at KIYG 2025:

Here is a complete list of sports happening at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025–

1. Athletics
2. Rugby
3. Volleyball
4. Basketball
5. Boxing
6. Tennis
7. Judo
8. Wrestling
9. Cycling (Road)
10. Sepak Takraw
11. Fencing
12. Kabaddi
13. Weightlifting
14. Hockey
15. Table Tennis
16. Mallakhamb
17. Kalarippayattu
18. Yogasana
19. Gatka
20. Kho Kho
21. Thang Ta
22. Swimming
23. Archery
24. Badminton
25. Football
26. Cycling (Track)
27. Gymnastics
28. Shooting
29. E-sports (Demo)

How To Get Tickets & Where To Come?
 

Khelo India Youth Games, scheduled from May 4 to May 15 will take place across five districts: Patna, Rajgir, Bhagalpur, Gaya and Begusarai, with each location offering specialized facilities to accommodate various sports disciplines. Esports Competitions will be held on May 6 and 7, featuring popular titles such as Street Fighter, eFootball, BGMI and Chess at the Patliputra Sports Complex - Indoor Stadium.The estimated timings of the event is 11 AM- 6 PM. You don’t need tickets to enter the venue, the event is free for all with an expected crowd of over 3000 people across 2 days.

This recognition marks a significant milestone for Esports in India. With PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar set to inaugurate the event on 4th May, the momentum around competitive gaming is stronger than ever. Now listed under Priority Sports alongside Athletics, Wrestling, and Boxing, Esports is stepping into the national spotlight. Seven states will send their top E-athletes—each selecting the Top 2 Teams and Solo Performers through Open Qualifiers—to compete in Bihar. The event will also see the presence of renowned gaming personalities like MortaL, sc0ut, Destro, Saumraj, AnkiiBot, Spero, and many others. Titles like BGMI, Chess, Street Fighter 6, and eFootball (both Mobile & Console) are included in this year's game pool. This all leads up to the big reveal of the National Esports Championship, scheduled for June.