Khelo India Youth Games 2026: Telangana hosts 27 sports from 11 to 22 December, 22 in Hyderabad and five in district towns

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the schedule on Monday: 22 medal sports in Hyderabad and one each in Hanumakonda, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad and Mahabubnagar. Softball makes its debut and sailing is on show as a demonstration event.

By Telugu Scope Desk

Published November 9, 2026 · 2 min read

A large arch over the entrance road to the Gachibowli sports complex in Hyderabad, with a lattice tower, a stadium stand, event banners and cars under a blue sky

Hyderabad and five district towns will stage the Khelo India Youth Games 2026 from Friday, 11 December to Tuesday, 22 December, the first time Telangana has hosted the Youth Games. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the schedule on Monday, 9 November. Medals will be at stake in 27 sports, and sailing will be shown as a demonstration event.

Hyderabad gets the bulk of the competition: 22 of the 27 medal sports, at venues including LB Stadium in Basheerbagh and the Gachibowli sports complex. Each of the other five sports goes to a district headquarters. Athletics will be held in Hanumakonda, judo in Karimnagar, archery in Khammam, table tennis in Nizamabad and kabaddi in Mahabubnagar.

The district venues

The venue directory of the Sports Authority of Telangana names the grounds. The athletics events are at the Jawaharlal Nehru Outdoor Stadium in Hanumakonda, judo is set for Dr Ambedkar Stadium in Karimnagar and archery for Sardar Patel Stadium in Khammam. Table tennis players will compete at the Khel Bharathi Indoor Stadium, inside Navyabharathi Global School on Armoor Road in Nizamabad, and kabaddi teams at the district sports authority stadium near the Mahabubnagar bus stand. In Hyderabad, besides LB Stadium and Gachibowli, the list includes the KVBR Indoor Stadium at Yousufguda, the cycling velodrome on the Osmania University campus and a water-sports venue on Hussain Sagar.

The ministry expects about 6,000 athletes, backed by 1,800 support staff, over the 12 days. In September, when Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju and Special Chief Secretary (Sports) Jayesh Ranjan reviewed the arrangements, the state sports authority put the number of athletes at more than 6,050. Its registration for volunteers is now closed.

Softball’s first Games

Softball will be contested for medals for the first time, and sailing makes its first appearance on the Games programme. The full medal list is archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, gatka, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kalarippayattu, kho-kho, mallakhamb, rowing, shooting, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, thang-ta, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and yogasana. Mandaviya said that, coming soon after the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the event should produce strong performances.

The previous edition, held in Bihar in May 2025, was won by Maharashtra, with 58 gold, 47 silver and 53 bronze medals, for a third title in a row. Haryana finished second and Rajasthan third. The Telangana Games will be the eighth edition.

The Sports Authority of Telangana arch at the Gachibowli sports complex in Hyderabad, one of the main venues for the Khelo India Youth Games 2026. File photo. Photo: Kavali Chandrakanth KCK / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).