Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], May 6 : Over the last two decades, Gujarat's youth have made the state proud by turning sporting talent into professional success, much of it driven by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2010, as Chief Minister, he launched the pioneering Khel Mahakumbh initiative, which revived Gujarat's sports culture and discovered talent even in the remotest areas.
Athletes like Sarita Gaikwad and Murali Gavit have since brought global recognition to the state. Notably, World Athletics Day, observed on May 7, promotes fitness and youth participation in sports. Gujarat's state-level athletics competitions under Khel Mahakumbh reflect this spirit, actively supporting its goal.
Over 6,300 athletes participated in the Khel Mahakumbh 3.0 State-Level Athletics Competition
From April 14 to 30, the Khel Mahakumbh 3.0 state-level athletics competition was held at the High-Performance Centre in Nadiad, Kheda district, with around 6,369 athletes from across Gujarat participating in it, according to a release.
Organised under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the event saw the participation of 3,251 boys and 3,118 girls across Under-9, Under-11, Under-14, Under-17, and Open Age categories. The competition featured a diverse range of events including sprints (30m to 5000m), hurdles (80m, 100m, 110m, 400m), long jump, high jump, pole vault, triple jump, shot put, discus, javelin, hammer throw, relay races, and race walking. Winners were awarded medals and tracksuits for their achievements.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this initiative has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing athletic talent in Gujarat, making champions like Sarita Gayakwad, Mayur Malaviya, Ruchit Mori, and Gavit Murali. Sarita, the 'Golden Girl' of Dang, won gold in the women's 4x400m relay at the 2018 Asian Games, while Murali Gavit brought glory to the state with a bronze in the 10,000m at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championship.
The Government of Gujarat remains dedicated to supporting such exceptional talent. Today, Khel Mahakumbh, organised in partnership with the Government of Gujarat and the Sports Authority of India, has grown into Asia's largest grassroots talent identification and development program. With lakhs of athletes participating across all age groups, the event continues to thrive. Over 53.66 lakh participants participated in Khel Mahakumbh 2.0 and received monetary rewards for their performance.
Over the last two decades, the Government of Gujarat has developed world-class sports infrastructure to encourage participation across the state, the release said. From a modest Rs 2.5 crore in 2002, the sports budget has grown to over Rs 352 crore in 2024.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Sports Policy 2022-2027 was introduced to build a strong sports ecosystem. This policy positions Gujarat to become a leading state in sports, opening up greater opportunities for its talented athletes.