Khelo India Tribal Games: Over 1,000 Players Participate in Selection Trials

Raipur, January 2026 : More than 1,000 tribal sportspersons from across Chhattisgarh participated in the selection trials held for the formation of the state team for the upcoming Khelo India National Tribal Games, scheduled to be organised next month. The trials, conducted by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, were held over three days from January 6 to January 8 in Raipur and Bilaspur.

Selection trials for seven disciplines included in the National Tribal Games were organised at different venues in the two cities. In Raipur, trials for football, hockey, wrestling and weightlifting were conducted, while Bilaspur hosted trials for swimming, athletics and archery.

In Raipur, state-level selection trials for wrestling, football and weightlifting were organised at Swami Vivekananda Stadium, Kota. Hockey trials were held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium. In Bilaspur, trials for archery and athletics took place at the State Sports Training Centre, Bahtara, while swimming trials were conducted at the District Sports Complex in Sarkanda. Players belonging to the Scheduled Tribe category from across the state participated enthusiastically in the trials held in both cities.

A total of 558 players took part in the four sports trials conducted in Raipur, including 355 male and 203 female athletes. District-wise participation included 55 players from Balod, 31 from Bastar, 9 from Bijapur, 6 from Gariaband, 3 from Janjgir-Champa, 92 from Jashpur, 36 from Kabirdham, 51 from Kanker, 23 from Kondagaon, 9 from Korba, 14 from Mahasamund, 21 from Raigarh, 16 from Rajnandgaon, 23 from Surguja, 31 from Sukma, 13 from Dhamtari, 11 from Durg, 4 from Bemetara, 8 from Bilaspur, 19 from Dantewada, 6 from Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, 12 from Raipur, 4 from Balodabazar-Bhatapara, 12 from Balrampur-Ramanujganj, 4 from Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, 4 from Korea, 27 from Narayanpur, 4 from Sakti and 10 from Surajpur.

In Raipur, 148 players participated in hockey trials, 37 in wrestling, 40 in weightlifting and 333 in football. Meanwhile, in Bilaspur, a total of 470 players competed across three disciplines to secure a place in the state team.

During the selection trials, office-bearers of various sports associations, along with officials from the Scheduled Tribe Development Department and the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, actively participated to ensure smooth and fair conduct of the process.