New Delhi: Over 1,400 participants from across 32 states and union territories including Services Sports Control Board are expected to participate in the first-ever Khelo India Para Games, scheduled to be held here from December 10 to December 17, 2023.
As the capital awaits the sublime displays of skill, dedication, and passion that the remarkable athletes will bring to the forefront, the Games’ Mascot ‘Ujjwala’ is going around to major landmarks in New Delhi like Khan Market, Sarojini Nagar, and Connaught Place to create buzz about the first-ever Khelo India Para Games.
The maiden Khelo India Para Games will witness para athletes vie for honours in 7 disciplines including para-athletics, para shooting, para archery, para football, para-badminton, para table tennis and para weight lifting. The events will be held across the three Sports Authority of India stadiums in the national capital – the Indira Gandhi Stadium, the Shooting Range in Tughlaqabad and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The start of the ‘Khelo India Para Games’ aims to extend its impact by identifying and supporting talented para-athletes, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur said. The Para Games mark a “monumental step” towards inclusivity in Indian sports, demonstrating the extraordinary talent and grit of the para-athletes from every corner of the country.
The streets of Delhi are adorned with colourful murals celebrating the event, creating a convivial and celebratory atmosphere. The city has undergone an aesthetic transformation for the milestone event to provide an immersive experience for fans. There are also selfie points in various parts of the city where fans can go and get clicked with the mascot, ‘Ujjwala’. All of these locations are geo-tagged.
Thakur said, “Inclusivity isn’t just a goal, it’s the spirit that propels the game forward. With the start of Khelo India Para Games, we aim to extend its impact by identifying and supporting talented para-athletes, who will contribute to India’s success in multi-discipline events in the coming years. I would like to congratulate everyone. It is because of our Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision, that Khelo India has become a household name. It has become a movement from a scheme. From 2018 till date, we have had 11 Khelo India Games, but this year we are delighted to add Para Games.”
– global bihari bureau
