Khele Sanand Closes in Sanand After 18 Days of Competition
Khele Sanand Sports Utsav 2026 Brings 45,000 Young Athletes Into Focus
More than 45,000 young athletes from 150-plus schools across all 105 villages of Sanand Taluka took part in the Khele Sanand Sports Utsav 2026, which ended at Sanskardham on Wednesday after 18 days of school-level sporting competitions.
Organised by the Vijayi Bharat Foundation (VBF), the event began on September 17 and was designed around participation, competition and early identification of sporting talent. The final figures mark a large expansion from the earlier stages of Khele Sanand, which has been running since 2023.
The closing ceremony brought together Arjuna Award-winning table tennis player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, MMA fighter Pawan Maan Singh and cricketer Vedant Trivedi. VBF directors Jalaj Dani, Dhanraj Nathwani and Durgesh Agarwal were also present.
The event featured 23 competitions for boys and girls, with 336 gold, silver and bronze medals awarded. On the final day, athletes competed in events including the Under-17 60m, Under-14 50m cycling and Under-8 softball. Finals were also held in Under-11 kids’ javelin and Under-14 and Under-17 tug of war.
The programme also introduced Veer and Garvi, the mascots of Khele Sanand.
For organisers, however, the bigger issue was what happens to promising athletes after the medals are handed out. Coaches, scouts and sports experts assessed children through sport-specific drills, physical tests and performance measures. Statistical models and predictive analysis were also used as part of the assessment process.
The idea of using organised testing to find young athletes fits a wider change in Indian sport. The national Khelo India programme has a specific talent-identification system covering grassroots, intermediate and elite levels. Its current framework includes standardised assessment, talent scouts and performance tracking. The government says the programme has identified more than 40,000 athletes through its wider work.
That approach matters in places where children may have ability but limited access to formal competitions. India’s sports policy has increasingly placed attention on finding talent outside established sporting centres, including rural areas. Khelo India guidelines, for example, provide for grassroots testing and scouting across sports such as athletics, cycling, volleyball, football, kho-kho and kabaddi.
Khele Sanand has followed a similar local approach. Its work has included Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Volleyball and Athletics, with competitions held through schools and village-level sporting activities. VBF’s own records show earlier achievements, including a district-level Khel Mahakumbh win for the Under-14 girls’ Kho-Kho team from Telav village in 2025 and a state-level appearance for the Under-14 girls’ Kabaddi team from D.G. School in Sanand in 2024.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran said the response from children showed the value of giving young players a place to compete.
“It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm among the children and the platform that Vijayi Bharat Foundation has created for them through Khele Sanand. This is closely aligned with the vision of making sport more accessible and creating opportunities at the grassroots. Seeing the energy here, I truly believe this is the right time to be in sports. I would encourage every child to keep playing, because sport teaches you dedication, discipline and teamwork. Whether you win or lose, what matters is that you continue to play and keep improving.”
Pawan Maan Singh said early exposure could help children develop confidence and take sport more seriously.
“The scale of the facilities and the platform created through Khele Sanand is immense, and it is encouraging to see children being given such opportunities at an early age. Initiatives like this can make sport a meaningful part of a child’s journey by giving them access, encouragement and the confidence to compete. It is heartening to see VBF creating an environment where children are being encouraged to take up sport and pursue it seriously.”
For Vedant Trivedi, children from across Sanand participating was also a reminder that sporting ability can come from smaller communities.
“Being from Gujarat, it makes me really proud to see VBF giving grassroots athletes the attention and opportunities they need to grow. Sporting talent can emerge from anywhere, and what matters is having the right platform, guidance and support to nurture it. Seeing so many children participate through Khele Sanand gives me confidence that initiatives like this can help create a stronger sporting culture and allow young athletes to take their talent forward.”
Vijayi Bharat Foundation operates the Khele Sanand programme alongside its other sports work. Its high-performance centre covers Judo, Archery, Shooting and Fencing, while its community sports programmes include Badminton, Football, Equestrian, Table Tennis, Martial Arts, Shooting and Chess. The foundation has said it wants to establish a large Olympic training centre in India.
The Khele Sanand programme began in 2023 to increase sports participation among children and young people. Earlier editions involved more than 90 schools and thousands of students. The 2026 Sports Utsav has taken that school and village network to a much larger scale.
The next test for the programme will be whether children identified during the 18-day event continue into regular coaching and higher-level competitions. For a sports programme covering 105 villages, that follow-up could prove as important as the medal tally.