Hyderabad to host Khelo India Youth Games 2026 likely

Hyderabad: The Central Government has responded positively to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s proposal to host the Khelo India Youth Games 2026 in Hyderabad. While the Chief Minister initially proposed holding the event in 2025, Bihar is set to host the Khelo India Youth Games next year.

However, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, assured the state government’s special representative, Jithender Reddy, that a decision has been made in principle to host the event in Hyderabad in 2026.

Jithender Reddy personally handed over a special letter from the Chief Minister to the Union Minister. In the letter, CM Revanth Reddy highlighted that Hyderabad has previously hosted several major national and international competitions, including the 32nd National Games (2002), the Afro-Asian Games, and the 7th Military Games.

He emphasized that the current government is giving greater priority to the sports sector than in the past decade and that Hyderabad is equipped with the necessary infrastructure to host national-level competitions.

CM Revanth Reddy also outlined the availability of state-of-the-art facilities for outdoor games in Hyderabad. These include a synthetic athletic track, a swimming pool, a skating track, and a football ground at Gymkhana-II.

Jithender Reddy further briefed the Union Minister on the Chief Minister’s proposal. He noted that since the formation of Telangana as a state, it has achieved a distinct identity, not only economically but also across various sectors. He assured the Union Minister that the state government has a clear vision to host prestigious sports competitions and nurture top athletes for the future.