Esports at Khelo India Youth Games: BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball at Patliputra event
BGMI has the highest participation nationwide, and will remain a popular hook.
But the notable addition is of chess which most recently became part of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, which boasted a prize pool of $1.5 million (INR 12.6 crore) for the title. In India, majors NODWIN Gaming have on boarded e-chess and organised the Chess Super League, featuring national and international stars and also hosted Chess tournaments at DreamHack India 2024 across rapid and blitz formats.
'The inclusion of titles like BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 signals a big step forward for grassroots esports in India,' Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, said in a press release.
Rathee said Khelo India could be a great avenue to locate stars from Tier 1 & 2 cities.
'It's encouraging to see esports standing shoulder to shoulder with traditional sports, and the addition of Chess – bridging classical and digital strategy shows how in tune this initiative is with global trends. But this isn't just about tournaments. It's about creating real opportunities to discover talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, places that have been overlooked for too long, thus building the foundation for a future where Indian gamers don't just participate, they dominate on the world stage,' he added.
S8UL, the global force in esports and gaming content, has signed Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin to compete at the EWC 2025, but they will also field players across Street Fighter 6, as well as EAFC25, Call of Duty Warzone, Tekken 8, and Apex Legends at the prestigious tournament.
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL stated that Street Fighter 6 and chess would especially benefit. 'It is especially encouraging to see Street Fighter 6 and Chess recognised through a government-led initiative, at a time when S8UL will be representing India in these very titles at the upcoming Esports World Cup. This development is crucial for identifying and nurturing talent across a range of platforms and genres from the grassroots level. Such proactive support from the authorities is a strong indicator of the growing legitimacy of esports in India and a positive sign for the industry's future,' he adds.
Bihar recently embraced the esports movement by organising the Bihar State Esports Open Championship and the Bihar Inter School and College Esports Championship over the past year. States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland have also taken proactive steps to support and formalise grassroots esports programs, as per the release.
Mikhail Bhuta, Co-Founder & Tech Lead, Dirtcube Interactive LLP was hopeful that Made-in-India esports-based games could be part of KIYG's future seasons.
Pavan Kampelli won the bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Esports Games in Bangkok, while Esports will be an official medal sport at the 2026 Asian Games, and the first-ever Olympic Esports Games is scheduled to debut in 2027.
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