Having won the team championship in Madhya Pradesh (2023) and Tamil Nadu (2024), Maharashtra completed a hat trick of titles when they finished on top of the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 medal tally. The seventh edition of KIYG, which began on May 4, ended on Thursday at Patna’s Patliputra Sports Complex.

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated Bihar for hosting the Games. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the state of Bihar for successfully hosting the Khelo India Youth Games 2025. The impeccable organization and vibrant energy witnessed throughout the event have truly showcased Bihar’s emerging role in India’s sporting journey.”

Advertisement

Dr Mandaviya added: “My special congratulations to Maharashtra for securing the top position, followed by Haryana in second place and Karnataka in third. Each of these states have demonstrated outstanding commitment to nurturing sporting talent and fostering a culture of excellence.”

In these under-18 Games, Maharashtra won gold medals across 14 sports with the bulk of them coming from athletics (10), swimming (7), gymnastics (7), archery (6) and weightlifting (5). Maharashtra won a total of 158 medals that included 47 silver and 53 bronze. Several athletes who excelled for Maharashtra, particularly the weightlifters, archers and fencers, train at Khelo India centres or National Centres of Excellence of the Sports Authority of India in Aurangabad, Patiala and Sonepat.

“But beyond the medal tally, it is important to remember that in sports, no one truly loses — you either win or you learn. Every athlete who competed at KIYG 2025 is a champion in their own right, contributing to the spirit of healthy competition and national pride,” said Dr Mandaviya.

Minister of State for Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse was among the dignitaries present at the closing ceremony. Two hundred and eighty-five gold medals across 27 disciplines were decided during the 12-day Games and Maharashtra accounted for 58 of them.

Haryana, which was third in the Tamil Nadu edition last year, finished runners-up in Bihar with 39 gold medals, the bulk of them coming from wrestling (8), boxing (8), fencing (7) and athletics (6). Rajasthan finished third with 24 gold medals, seven more than Karnataka (fourth). Last year’s hosts Tamil Nadu finished sixth with 15 golds. Delhi, with 16 golds, finished fifth.

Hosts Bihar showed massive improvement in these Games. Events were staged in five cities spread across the state and Delhi. Bihar’s athletes won 36 medals, seven of them gold, to finish a creditable 15th, up from 21st in Tamil Nadu. In terms of medals won, Bihar showed a 620% jump, an eloquent statement of the work that the state is doing on sports. Rugby (2), Athletics (2), Thank-ta (2) and Sepak-takraw (1) produced the gold medals. All these sports have athletes coming through Khelo India’s various talent spotting and development programmes like the ASMITA women’s league.

Dr. Mandaviya said: “Over the past decade, Indian sports have undergone a remarkable transformation. Under the Khelo India initiative, we have created a dynamic and inclusive sporting ecosystem with regular national-level competitions. Taking this vision forward, we will soon introduce a series of Khelo India Games throughout the year — including formats like the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) and others. These events will further strengthen our domestic sports structure and serve as a vital talent pipeline as we gear up for the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the Olympic Games 2036. India is on the move, and the youth are at the heart of this sporting revolution.”

One of the primary objectives of the Khelo India Youth Games is to spot and develop talent who can serve India in global events in future. With India keen to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, several athletes have already been spotted by SAI’s talent development team. One hundred and eight-six Khelo India athletes were among the 5071 – 50% of them being girls – who took part in these Games.

Out of the 26 records created in Khelo India Youth Games 2025, eight were created by girls. Out of the eight, five were national youth records in weightlifting, an event where Indian girls have huge potential to win international medals.