Khelo India Scheme is conducting the first National Para Games starting next month in Bangalore

The very first National Para Games, created on the lines of National Games for able-bodied athletes, will be held under the Khelo India Scheme in June-July in Bengaluru.

The tentative dates for the multi-sport event for para-athletes, who will be competing among the various states, have been put from June 28 to July 7, according to the technical handbook issued by the sports ministry.

The Paralympic Committee of India will be responsible for the technical conduct of the Games while all the funding will be done by the sports ministry under the Khelo India Scheme.

DETAILS ABOUT NATIONAL PARA GAMES:

• The Games will be held for the age group of 16 to 40 (men and women) in 10 disciplines -- para-athletics, badminton, chess, blind judo, para powerlifting, shooting para-sport, para-swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing
• Each discipline will have various classifications to be done under the aegis of the PCI
• There will be 416 medal events (220 for men, 180 for women and 16 mixed) while the total number of participants has been fixed at 2,192 (1,311 for men, 837 women and 44 for mixed events)
• Para athletics will have the most medal events (167), followed by para swimming (135)
• The events will be held at four venues -- Kanteerava Stadium, Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, SAI Centre Bangaluru and Karnataka Badminton Association Stadium

PCI vice-president Gursharan Singh said the Games will be a biennial affair and the inaugural event will also serve as the qualifiers for the Para Asian Games to be held in Jakarta in October

Entries of the athletes nominated by the state paralympic association or respective state level para-sports federations will be considered for participation.

WHAT IS KHELO INDIA SCHEME?

Until now, sports schemes were focused on building infrastructure such as stadiums. However, this new scheme is focussing on nurturing talent and connecting rural India to global games.

Under the scheme, 1,000 selected athletes will receive an annual scholarship of Rs 500,000 each for eight years

The scheme, which would cost the government Rs 1,756 crore between 2017-18 and 2019-20, will also promote 20 universities across India as hubs of sporting excellence.

The Khelo India scheme would also cover about 200 million children in the age group of 10-18 under a massive national physical fitness drive, which will not only measure the physical fitness of all children in the age group but also support their fitness-related activities.