Pankaj Jain
New Delhi, Feb 2 (UNI) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday announced that the inaugural edition of ‘Delhi Khel Mahakumbh’ will be launched on February 13, with over 20,000 athletes expected to take part in the month-long multi-sport event across the national Capital.
Addressing the media, Sood said the Mahakumbh will begin with seven sports in its first phase of Kabaddi, Football, Athletics, Wrestling, Basketball, Volleyball and Squash.
The competitions will be organised at 16 stadiums and venues across Delhi, including Bawana, Vikaspuri and Najafgarh, to ensure equal opportunities for young players from all parts of the city.
Highlighting the incentive structure, the Minister announced attractive prize money for winners.
In team events, the Gold-winning team will receive Rs 1.75 lakh, Silver Rs 1.51 lakh and Bronze Rs 1.31 lakh. For individual events, Gold medalists will be awarded Rs 11,000, Silver Rs 9,000 and Bronze Rs 7,000.
Sood said the initiative aims to promote grassroots sports and identify emerging talent while encouraging a strong sporting culture among Delhi’s youth.
On the occasion, the Minister also unveiled “Ranveer” as the official mascot of the Delhi Khel Mahakumbh, saying it represents the energy, courage and sporting spirit of young athletes in the Capital.
He added the government is committed to providing quality infrastructure and platforms to nurture future sportspersons and make Delhi a hub for competitive sports.
Ashish Sood also alleged that for several years, sports and youth activities in Delhi suffered neglect. On one hand, the previous government failed to allocate adequate budgetary support for sports, and on the other, Delhi’s children were deprived of opportunities to participate at national and international levels.
He further said that the sports budget stood at 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 at Rs 26 crore till 2024-25.
“The present government has reversed this trend by tripling the allocation for Sports and Youth Affairs to Rs 76 crore in 2025-26,” he added.
Targeting the previous government, Sood said during the Aam Aadmi Party’s tenure, serious negligence was witnessed in the sports and youth affairs sector. Heavy budget cuts, financial mismanagement, and unnecessary confrontation with the Central government severely hampered the holistic development of sports in Delhi.
He said: ”As a result, the construction of new playgrounds, major sports infrastructure projects, and modernization of existing facilities came to a virtual standstill. Budgetary reductions directly impacted the maintenance and expansion of sports complexes and facilities available to athletes.”
He said instead of investing in sports development, the previous government allowed liabilities to remain pending for years. After the change in government, these long-pending dues were cleared in 2025-26, exposing the absence of a long-term sports policy and financial discipline during the earlier regime, Sood added.
The Education Minister further stated that the Kejriwal government deliberately distanced itself from national youth and sports programmes. Delhi’s participation in Central government initiatives remained minimal, depriving the city’s youth of national-level opportunities.
“Several activities were conducted merely as formalities, often behind closed doors, defeating their very purpose. Despite repeated claims, no comprehensive, forward-looking sports policy for Delhi was implemented,” Sood alleged.
He also pointed out that the previous government did not participate actively in major national sporting events. Instances such as the then Education Minister declining to attend the 66th National School Games as chief guest and exerting pressure on officials reflected an uncooperative attitude.
“Similarly, Delhi’s participation in national initiatives like the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025 remained extremely limited. Cash incentives due to Delhi’s athletes remained pending for nearly two years,” he added.
Sood claimed the new government has launched several initiatives to promote sports, including financial assistance and improved facilities for athletes. Measures have also been taken to enhance player welfare, such as providing accommodation, travel facilities (including AC train tickets), and upgraded stadium infrastructure.
