The Centre has sanctioned ₹22 crore for the 8th Khelo India Youth Games, which will be held in Hyderabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and Mahabubnagar in December this year in coordination with the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across the country are expected to compete in 25 sporting disciplines, informed Union Minister of Coal & Mines G. Kishan Reddy on Wednesday.Sports infrastructure worth nearly ₹30 crore has been created in Telangana under the Khelo India scheme. Of this, ₹11.5 crore was spent on developing facilities at Osmania University, including a synthetic athletics track, a synthetic tennis court and a dedicated swimming pool for women. Another ₹18.5 crore was utilised for creating sports infrastructure in various towns across the State, he said.Around 33 Khelo India centres have been established across Telangana to nurture sporting talent at the grassroots level and in addition, around ₹8.5 crore has been allocated for sports development in the State through the National Sports Development Fund.Highlighting the Centre’s investment in sports, he said the national sports budget has increased from ₹1,219 crore before 2014 to ₹3,794 crore in 2025-26. While 38 sports infrastructure projects worth ₹191 crore had been taken up across the country before 2014, as many as 350 projects worth ₹3,181 crore have been completed over the past 12 years, said a press release. Published - August 26, 2026 08:21 pm IST