The eagerly anticipated Khelo India Youth Games 2023, Tamil Nadu edition, kicked off on January 19, spanning four vibrant cities – Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Trichy. Renowned as a beacon for nurturing emerging sporting talent, the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) serves as a catalyst, motivating young athletes to unlock their potential as future champions. Sports For All (SFA), steadfast in its commitment to revolutionize grassroots sports across disciplines, continues its partnership with KIYGfor the second consecutive year.
Having played a crucial role in previous editions in Haryana, Pune, and Guwahati, SFA elevated its involvement in 2023 by assuming the ‘powered by’ sponsorship, pledging an impressive investment of Rs. 12.5 crores for five years. This substantial commitment underscores SFA’s unwavering dedication to unearth and nurture promising sporting talent in the country. In the current edition (2024) of Khelo India Youth Games, SFA takes charge of organizing the on-ground games across Tamil Nadu, leveraging its extensive expertise in managing multi-sport experiences.
Sports For All (SFA) stands as India’s largest tech-enabled multi-sport grassroots competition platform, with a visionary goal of igniting a love for sports among the youth through inspiring and joyful sporting experiences. Founded by Rishikesh Joshi and Vishwas Choksi in 2015, SFA has been resolutely focused on transforming and mobilizing school sporting championships in the country. The platform prides itself on offering an inclusive, diverse, safe, and best-in-class environment for the youth to realize their fullest potential through sports.
Rajas Joshi, COO, Sports For All (SFA) told RevSportz, “It’s a great move. I can’t thank Sports Authority of India enough for the unwavering support and commitment to boost the grassroot sports to unearth future stars”
“At SFA, our aim is to enable athletes to begin their sporting journey with SFA Championships and eventually represent at the State, National and International platforms. Our partnership with Khelo India Youth Games is a perfect synergy of our shared vision to empower young athletes and provide them with a platform to showcase their incredible talent. Having seamlessly conducted editions of Khelo India Youth Games, two editions of National Games and more than 21 SFA Championships, our efforts are focused to contribute significantly towards the development of grassroots sports, in India”.
“The Khelo India Youth Games was launched with the vision of bringing change in the grassroots sporting ecosystem, and the partnership with SFA aligns with this core objective. The edition in Tamil Nadu is bringing alive many firsts – hosting the games for the first time in southern India, the debut of squash and Tamil Nadu’s oldest weapon-based martial arts form Silambam, launching the first woman mascot – and we are proud to have team SFA join this journey as an integral part of the team operations on-ground, as well,” Ekta Vishnoi,, DDG, Sports Authority of India (SAI), told RevSportz.
“India is witnessing tremendous growth in sports, with athletes showcasing the nation on a global map, with their brilliant performances. Strengthening grassroots sports is a critical step in building the foundation of a sporting culture, in the country. It is crucial to discover and empower emerging talent since childhood, to give them the right direction for a career in sports. Augmenting access to sports at the grassroots, is the focus for the collaboration of SAI and SFA, which is well equipped in organizing multi-sports school Championships” Vishnoi added.
As the leading sports entrepreneurial venture aligned with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), SFA has been the “official partner” of the Indian Olympic Association, providing crucial support for the Indian contingent at prestigious events such as the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, and the Asian Games 2022. SFA has been an integral part of the 36th National Games in Gujarat (2022), the 37th National Games in Goa (2023), and previous editions of the Khelo India Youth Games in Haryana, Pune, and Guwahati.