Gaya gears up to host Games

Gaya: Gaya is all set to host the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 with events scheduled to take place at two venues – the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) and the Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya (IIM-BG). Teams from across the country have already begun arriving.
BIPARD will host swimming, kho-kho, thang ta (a traditional martial art from Manipur), and gatka (a martial art with origins in Punjab). Meanwhile, IIM Bodh Gaya will hold events including malakhamb, kalaripayattu and yoga. The competitions will run from May 5 to May 15.
"The events will be held in two shifts — morning sessions from 4am to 8am and evening sessions from 4pm to 8pm. There will be no entry fee for members of the public who wish to attend," District magistrate Thiyagarajan S M said.
Highlighting the infrastructural benefits of hosting the national-level event, he said, "Thanks to the Khelo India Youth Games being organised here, Gaya has received new sports infrastructure, including a swimming pool and a sports complex at BIPARD. This will benefit local sportspersons in nurturing their talents and help them progress to represent India on national and international platforms."
Thiyagarajan said arrangements for food, lodging, and transportation had been completed. Teams from different states have already begun arriving in the city.
To mark the occasion and promote the event, wall paintings have been created in Gaya and Bodh Gaya, along with roadside murals near BIPARD.