Raipur, March 24 Close to 1300 athletes from across the country will compete in nine disciplines in the first-ever Khelo India Tribal Games, which will begin here on Wednesday.
The Games will be held at three venues in Chhattisgarh – Raipur, Jagdalpur, and Sarguja – and 106 gold medals will be awarded.
Odisha has fielded the largest contingent of 125 athletes from among the 30 participating states and union territories. The host state of Chhattisgarh (121), along with Jharkhand (107) and Assam (106), will also have a significant presence at the Games.
Medals will be awarded in archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling. Traditional sports like mallakhamb and kabaddi will be demonstration sports.
A total of approximately 3800 participants, including coaches and officials, will take part in the Games, which will conclude on April 3.
"For me and for all of us, it is a matter of great pride that this championship is being started in the country for the first time. It is a very good opportunity for all the youth and tribal players to showcase their talent and move forward in sports, and to represent the country," said Dilip Tirkey, a tribal hockey star and the current head of Hockey India, to SAI media.
"Our Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, envisions making India a sporting nation. He wants all youth to be involved in sports and to play one game or another," he added.
The maximum number of gold medals will be in athletics (34). Swimming (24), wrestling (18), weightlifting (16), and archery (10) will also have gold medals up for grabs in double digits.
Hockey and football will be the two team sports, and both will be played in Raipur. Athletics will be held in Jagdalpur, while Sarguja will host wrestling.
"Our Hon'ble Sports Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, also wants that through sports, our athletes, especially tribal athletes, can build better careers, improve their lives, and represent the country. I also firmly believe that every tribal child has a dream," said Tirkey.
"I myself come from a tribal family, and through sports, particularly hockey, I have been able to reach where I am today. I believe that all the tribal children participating in this tournament have a bright future ahead. Many tribal athletes have already represented the country and have become icons in our tribal society," he added.
National 100m and 200m record holder, Animesh Kujur, echoed this sentiment.
"There are many places in India where sports haven't reached. This makes the Khelo India Tribal Games all the more special," he said.
All participating athletes have come through trials conducted by National Sports Federations. The performance of the athletes will be monitored by coaches appointed by the Sports Authority of India.