RAIPUR (Chhattisgarh, India): The inaugural “Khelo India Tribal Games” (KITG) from March 25 to April 6, 2026, marking the first national multi-sport event in India exclusively for tribal athletes, began in Raipur in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.
Indian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya formally inaugurated the event. The events will be held in three cities of Chhattisgarh – capital Raipur, Jagdalpur and Surguja.
Inaugurating the games, Dr. Mandaviya said that KITG 2026 marks a historic beginning for Chhattisgarh as a permanent host, with the Games set to be organized annually across different regions of the state.
Dr. Mandaviya said that talent existed beyond urban centers, including in tribal regions, coastal areas and remote parts of the country. “Sporting talent is not limited to metropolitan cities; it thrives in tribal villages and across diverse regions of the country. The introduction of the Khelo India Tribal Games aims to identify and promote this untapped potential,” he said.
He said that coaches from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) will be present at the games venue and will scout talent through structured pathways. KITG will not only promote sports but also boost tourism and regional development, drawing participants and attention from across the country and globally in the coming years, he also said.
The Games feature seven medal sports – athletics, football, hockey, weightlifting, archery, swimming and wrestling. There will be two demonstration sports – Mallakhamb and Kabaddi. Mallakhamb, a traditional Indian sport that blends gymnastic and aerial skills using a pole or rope, reflects the cultural fusion objective of the event. Kabaddi, widely played across rural India, has historical roots in traditional tribal and rural games and has grown into a nationally recognized competitive sport.
KITG is being organized under the Khelo India Scheme, a flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports aimed at promoting grassroots sports, identifying talent early, and enhancing India’s competitive sporting culture. The event is being jointly hosted by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Indian Olympic Association, and the national sports federations of various disciplines.
The logo, theme song and mascot for the event were unveiled last year. The mascot ‘Morveer’ is a name deeply rooted in Chhattisgarh’s cultural ethos. Derived from two powerful words, ‘Mor’, meaning mine or our own in Chhattisgarhi, and ‘Veer’, symbolizing courage and valor, the mascot represents the spirit, pride and identity of India’s tribal communities.
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