Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that the first-ever Khelo India University Games is a revolutionary step in the country.
The first edition of the Khelo India University Games will be held in Bhubaneswar from February 22 to March 1.
"The event is funded by the Sports Ministry in association with the state government. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and National Sports Federations (NSF) are also supporting the event. This is a revolutionary step by the government as we started the University Games in India for the first-time," Rijiju told ANI.
This is the first time in India that the University Games is happening in the country.
"Earlier, the inter-university games did not get government support. It was all self-funded tournaments by the universities in different sports like athletics, football, volleyball and table tennis to name a few. From this year onwards, all universities around the country will get recognised under Associations of Indian Universities and will take part in Khelo India University Games," Rijiju said.
The theme song of the Khelo India University Games was also unveiled today.
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Rijiju also commented on Srinivasa Gowda, a Kambala jockey from Karnataka, whose trial was arranged under Sports Authority of India (SAI) coaches by him after the latter broke the record in the Kambala event.
"I have ordered if he is physically fit then his trial should be conducted. If he is up to the standard, we will take him in the camp. We will give proper chance to every player in this country," Rijiju said.
Gowda set the new record as the fastest runner in the history of the traditional sport as he covered 145 metres in 13.62 seconds at Kambala competition.
He became an overnight sensation and netizens compared him to the fastest sprinter in the world -- Usain Bolt -- and urged sporting bodies to take note of the jockey.
"Standard of Olympics is different from traditional sports. It is not right to compare the two as we cannot go by the amateur record but only by official trial," Rijiju said.