Wings to athletes’ dreams under the Yogi Government: Admissions begin in 5 Sports Colleges, 518 seats to be filled

Operations begin at Saharanpur and Fatehpur Sports Colleges, admissions to be held for the first time

High-level training to be provided in cricket, hockey, football, wrestling, boxing and several other sports

Merit-based selection process to provide a major platform to talented athletes

Lucknow, May 2026 : The Yogi Government is continuously taking major steps to promote sports talent in Uttar Pradesh and provide better sports facilities to the youth. In this sequence, the admission process for Sports Colleges for the 2026-27 session has begun. Admissions will be conducted for a total of 518 potential vacant seats in Classes 6, 9 and 11 in Sports Colleges located in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Saifai, Fatehpur and Saharanpur.

The state has received two new Sports Colleges in Saharanpur and Fatehpur. Admissions for the 2026-27 session have also started there. With this, admission processes are now active in a total of five Sports Colleges across the state. The application process is completely online and is being conducted through the Khel Sathi portal.

Candidates are applying through the Sports College Lucknow website SPORTSCOLLEGELKO.IN and the Khel Sathi portal (https://khelsathi.in). The application fee has been fixed at Rs 200.

This time, the Yogi Government has made the Permanent Education Number (PEN) issued through the UDISE portal mandatory to make the application process more transparent and technologically robust.

Applications without a Permanent Education Number (PEN) will not be accepted. Verification of candidates’ academic records will be carried out through the UDISE Plus portal.

The Yogi Government is continuously expanding new schemes and facilities to promote sports. Specialised training in different sports will be provided in all 5 Sports Colleges. Guru Gobind Singh Sports College in Lucknow will offer sports such as athletics, badminton, cricket, football, hockey and volleyball.

Bir Bahadur Singh Sports College in Gorakhpur will provide training in volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, badminton, hockey and judo. Meanwhile, Major Dhyan Chand Sports College in Etawah (Saifai) will offer facilities for athletics, cricket, football, hockey, wrestling, kabaddi and swimming.

In addition, admissions in Fatehpur Sports College will be available only for Class 9 in athletics, hockey, handball and wrestling. Similarly, admissions in Saharanpur Sports College will also be conducted only for Class 9 in athletics, hockey, boxing, judo and weightlifting.

The objective of the government is to provide better training to sports talents from different regions in their preferred sports.

The government has also prescribed certain essential eligibility criteria for admission. For admission to Class 6, the candidate must have passed Class 5 in the 2025-26 session. Similarly, passing Class 8 is mandatory for admission to Class 9 and passing Class 10 is compulsory for admission to Class 11.

Students who have taken a one-year gap will have to clarify their status through an affidavit. The online application process has been made simple yet secure. Before applying, candidates must keep ready their latest photograph, Aadhaar card, birth certificate, mark sheet, signature, mobile number, email ID and Permanent Education Number (PEN).

After registration, an OTP will be sent to the candidate’s mobile number and email ID. After verification, login ID and password will be issued, through which students will be able to fill out the application form.

The Yogi Government has made the selection process completely merit and performance-based. The preliminary selection test will carry 100 marks, including 50 marks for the physical test and 50 marks for the skill and game test.

Obtaining a minimum of 40 percent marks in both tests will be mandatory. Sports experts will assess players’ techniques, fitness and performance on the field. Thereafter, a merit list will be released.

Candidates successful in the preliminary selection test will be included in the main selection examination. The main examination will also carry 100 marks and will include physical and skill tests.

The state government has also prescribed sport-specific standards. Minimum height has been fixed for admission in volleyball. For Class 9, boys must have a minimum height of 175 cm and girls 160 cm. For Class 11, the limits have been fixed at 180 cm and 165 cm respectively. Preference will be given to taller players.

Separate weight categories have also been fixed for sports such as wrestling, boxing and judo. In athletics, applications can be submitted for various events in running, jumping and throwing.

After completion of the selection process, successful candidates will also undergo biological age verification. Separate medical examination centres have been established in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Etawah for different sports. Candidates who clear the biological age verification will undergo counselling before final admission is granted.

Principal of Lucknow Sports College, Atul Sinha, stated that the application process has been made completely online and transparent. Candidates will be selected entirely on the basis of their sports talent, fitness and performance.