Gandhinagar, Sep 28 (IANS): More than 76 lakh players and young people have registered for Gujarat’s Khel Mahakumbh 2026, with over 3.49 lakh teams signing up for competitions across more than 35 sporting disciplines, including athletics, badminton, archery, boxing, basketball, football, gymnastics, hockey, judo and weightlifting.
The registrations include 45,43,945 male and 30,58,233 female participants. The total number of players registered are 76,02,178. Of the 3,49,747 teams registered for various competitions, 2,21,766 are male teams and 1,27,981 are female teams.
The state Sports Department opened online registration for Khel Mahakumbh 2026 on August 29, with the process remaining open until the evening of September 22.
Participants have since begun preparations under the guidance of their coaches for competitions at various levels.
For young athletes taking part in the event, Khel Mahakumbh also provides an opportunity to gain competitive exposure and showcase their skills.
Karishma, an athletics participant from Gandhinagar, said, “I am eagerly waiting for Khel Mahakumbh. It gives me an opportunity to provide a new platform to my talent and hard work.”
Dhruvi Solanki, who is participating in judo, said, “Through Khel Mahakumbh, I want to make Gujarat proud.”
Another participant, Mahima Chaudhary, said the event was more than just a competition for her and provided a platform to take her talent and hard work forward.
Coaches at Shri GM Chaudhary Public Girls’ School in Gandhinagar said the event had also created opportunities for children from rural areas.
Athletics coach Jeevan G Thakur said, “There is a lot of enthusiasm among the children regarding Khel Mahakumbh. Children from rural schools are getting an opportunity and are showcasing their talent at the national and international levels.”
Judo coach Hetal Thakur said the event had been organised every year since 2010 and provided children from different villages with a platform to develop their sporting abilities.
Khel Mahakumbh was launched in 2010, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The annual sporting event is now being held under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Additional Director Amit G Gamit said, “Winners at the taluka, district and state levels would receive cash prizes through Direct Benefit Transfer via RTGS.”
He added that talented players in the Under-11 and Under-14 categories would also be identified through the event.
The Gujarat government is organising Khel Mahakumbh 2026 under the theme “From Grassroots to Greatness”.
The event provides young sportspersons from across the state with an opportunity to compete at various levels, progressing from school-level contests to state-level events, while gaining competitive experience and a platform to showcase their sporting talent.
