India's biggest annual multi-sport event is back again. The National Games will officially begin on October 26, 2023. Goa will host the event this time, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National Games 2023 in Panjim. Though the Games will officially open on October 26, several disciplines have started earlier. This year's Games follow a successful 2022 edition that was hosted across six cities of Gujarat (track cycling competition took place in Delhi) (ODI World Cup | Sports News)
The five cities of Mapusa, Margao, Panjim, Ponda and Vasco will together host the various disciplines, with Delhi again organizing the track cycling races, in addition to the golf competition. This is the 37th edition of the National Games and it will be the first time Goa will be hosting them.
National Games 2023 will feature as many as 42 sports, which is the highest number of disciplines in its history. The list includes Olympic as well as indigenous sports like kho kho, yogasana and mallakhamb, which made their debut in the previous edition. Last year, over 7,000 athletes featured in 36 sports and the athlete count this time is likely to cross 10,000.
Below is the list of sports that will feature in the 37th National Games 2023 in Goa:
Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach volleyball, Beach Handball, Beach Football, Billiard and Snooker, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling, Fencing, Football, Gatka (demo), Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Kabbadi, Kalaripayattu, Kho Kho, Lagori (demo), Lawn Bowls, Lawn Tennis, Mallakhambh, Mini Golf, Modern Pentathlon, Netball, Pencak Silat, Roll Ball, Rowing, Rugby, Sepak Takraw, Shooting, Squay Martial Arts, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Wushu, Yachting and Yogasana.
The National Games 2023 are being held soon after India completed its best-ever haul of 107 medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which put the country in the fourth position in the medal tally.
