Khelo India University Games 2023: All you need to know

Four cities in Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Gautam Budh Nagar will host the Khelo India University Games 2023.

Srihari Nataraj in a file photo (Image- Instagram/Srihari)
By Abhiruchi Rout | Apr 21, 2023 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The dates for the Khelo India University Games 2023 (KIUG) have been announced. The largest university-level sports competition in India, KIUG, is scheduled to take place from May 25 and run until June 3, 2023. Uttar Pradesh will be hosting the event which will be a ten-day affair. The opening ceremony will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, while the closing ceremony is slated to take place in Varanasi.

At a meeting held at KD Singh Babu stadium here on Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary for Sports Navneet Sehgal, Secretary for Sports Ministry Sujata Chaturvedi, and Director General of Sports Authority of India Sandeep Pradhan evaluated the preparations for the Khelo India University Games 2023. The games will be organized at Ekana Stadium, a sports college, and a regional SAI facility in the state capital. 

In which cities, will the games be held?

Four cities in Uttar Pradesh – Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Gautam Budh Nagar will host the Khelo India University Games 2023. Approximately 12 sporting activities are scheduled to take place in Lucknow at eight different venues. The Babu Banarasi Das (BBD) University’s cricket pitch will host the archery competitions, while the institution’s main ground will host the judo and Mallakhamb games. 

The indoor hall of Ekana Sportz City will host volleyball and fencing events, while the indoor hall of the BBD Badminton Academy will host badminton and table tennis competitions. Rugby and athletics competitions will be held at the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College athletics ground, while hockey and football competitions will be contested at the same location’s respective grounds.

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Women’s football will be contested on Ekana Sportz City’s football pitch, which will also host tennis competitions. After Lucknow, Gautam Budh Nagar will host the majority of the activities, with five sporting events spread across three locations at the Khelo India University Games 2023. Swimming competitions will take place at the SVSP Sports Complex, while kabaddi and boxing matches will take place in the facility’s indoor hall. 

Events for basketball and weightlifting will be held in Gautam Budh Nagar University’s indoor gymnasium. The indoor IIT BHU hall in Varanasi will host competitions for the sports of wrestling and yogasana. A rowing competition will also be held at Gorakhpur’s Water Sports Complex, marking its debut at the games. Shooting is the only event that will take place in Delhi.

Who are the previous hosts and winners of the KIUG?

In the 2022 edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG), the host University, Jain University was the champion of the Games, with 20 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals. Tokyo Olympian Srihari Nataraj and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar were a part of the games and also earned medals for their respective universities. Host University’s Siva Sridhar was the most successful athlete as he won seven gold and two silver medals. The 2020 edition witnessed Panjab University being the champion of the inaugural KIUG.

YearHostSportsChampion
2020Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology,Odisha17Panjab University,Chandigarh
2022Jain University,Karnataka20Jain University,Karnataka

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