Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that Khelo India Youth Games have unearthed many young athletes.
"Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) has been incredible at unearthing young talents, who can be groomed to bring laurels to the country. Its mission is to introduce state-of-the-art facilities for athletes from the grassroots level," said Rijiju in a statement.
Rijiju on Wednesday sent off the athletes for the Khelo India Games, which will be held in Assam from January 10.
MP Mary Kom, Sports Secretary, Radheshyam Jhulya, Director General of SAI, Sandip Pradhan, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, Ajay Singh, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The five-time world championship praised the games and said that sports have come a long way in the country.
"In my early days, I would struggle to buy even a pair of gloves. It is heartening to see Indian sports have come a long way since then," said Mary Kom.
In a bid to provide a world-class experience to Khelo India athletes, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has joined hands with SpiceJet to help more than 1,000 kids experience the joy of flying to the venue of the Games.
The Games will conclude on January 22 with the closing ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium.
( With inputs from ANI )