New Delhi: Runveer cuts a striking figure, standing out with his flowing orange-and-brown mane and an athletic stance. Unveiled by education minister Ashish Sood on Monday, the mascot — dressed in a white sleeveless jersey, bright orange trousers and sporting tricolour bands on its head and arms — marked the announcement of Delhi Khel Mahakumbh 2025-26, themed ‘Aao Delhi Khele’.Over 20,000 sportspersons are expected to participate in the over-a-month-long festival, which begins on Feb 13. Envisioned as “one of the largest grassroots sports initiatives” in the city, it seeks to integrate sports with education and youth development while aligning with Fit India Movement and Khelo India Mission. It aim is to identify and nurture talent across the city, build a strong and sustainable sports culture and create pathways for budding athletes to progress to higher levels of competition, including national and international platforms.The ‘Mahakumbh’ will bring together multiple platforms under one umbrella, including Delhi State School Games, National School Games, Khelo Delhi and Constituency Games. Competitions will be held across seven disciplines: athletics, football, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi and squash at around 16 complexes and stadiums, including, Thyagaraj, Chhatrasal, Bawana’s Rajiv Gandhi Stadium and National Stadium.Meant for college-level athletes and participants in the open category, entries have been sought from across the city, including students from DU, GGSIPU and other universities, as well as registered sports clubs and academies. A dedicated online portal will facilitate registrations. The event will offer cash prizes, with teams striking gold receiving Rs 1.75 lakh and individual gold medallists Rs 11,000. “It is a historic initiative towards reviving sports culture in the capital. For several years, sports and youth activities in Delhi have been neglected. The sports budget was Rs 60 crore in 2021-22, which was reduced to Rs 41 crore in 2022-23, further slashed to Rs 26 crore in 2023-24 and remained stagnant the next financial year. The present govt has reversed this trend by tripling the allocation for sports and youth affairs to Rs 76 crore in 2025-26,” Sood said. On Feb 13, the festival will be thrown open with a ceremony featuring a parade of athletes, a torch relay, cultural and yoga performances, drone and light shows and live music, setting the stage for a month aimed at discovering Delhi’s next generation of champions.
