Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the opening ceremony of 6th Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai. The Games are being held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai from January 19 to 31. This is the first time that the Khelo India Youth Games are being held in South India. The Games will be played across four cities of Tamil Nadu, namely Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore.
The logo for the games incorporates the figure of poet Thiruvalluvar. On the other hand, 'Veera Mangai' is the mascot for the games. Rani Velu Nachiyar, fondly called as Veera Mangai, was an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule. The mascot symbolises the valour and spirit of Indian women, embodying the strength of women power.
Over 5,600 athletes are participating in this edition of Khelo India Youth Games, spread across 13 days in 15 venues with 26 sporting disciplines, over 275 competitive events and 1 demo sport.
The 26 sporting disciplines is a diverse mix of conventional sports such as Football, Volleyball, Badminton etc. and traditional sports such as Kalaripayattu, Gatka, Thang ta, Kabaddi and Yogasana. Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in the history of Khelo India Youth Games.
During the inaugural ceremony, PM Modi will also launch and lay the foundation stone of projects related to the Broadcasting sector worth about Rs 250 crore. This includes the launch of the revamped DD Podhigai channel as DD Tamil; 12 Akashvani FM projects in 8 States; and 4 DD transmitters in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for 26 new FM transmitter Projects in 12 States.