The National Games of India. A long-running and beloved sporting tradition that recently celebrated its 100th anniversary! And, for 2025, the NGI will have its 38th official event. It’s an exciting occasion for sports fans across the country and beyond, and this guide covers all you need to know about the games.

Significance of the 38th National Games

The 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand is set to be one of the biggest and most exciting iterations of the NGI ever! Why? Firstly, because it represents a major milestone. The NGI started back in 1924, back when it was known as the Indian Olympic Games. So, for 2025, the year of the 38th edition, India will celebrate over a century of sporting excellence! Many will spectate or even gamble on outcomes through apps like MostBet APK.
The next few sections will explore some more ways in which this event is set to be a big one.

Role of the National Games in promoting sports culture

For the 38th National Games of India, we'll see over 10,000 athletes compete in 35 different sports. The event will be broadcast on Indian TV and international channels for people to watch, and countless fans are sure to tune in every step of the way to witness the fun and thrills for themselves.
This is massive for promoting sports and sport culture in India. Loads of people, particularly children and younger generations, will get to see the best of the best in their fields, whether they be divers, archers, basketball players, golfers, sailors, or anything else. The games inspires people to take more of an active, engaged interest with sport in India today.

Impact on young athletes and grassroots development

Young athletes are always excited about the National Games of India, and the 38th edition is no different. Across India, young sports fans and players are eagerly anticipating the big event, and when many get to see their sporting heroes compete at such a high level, they may feel inspired to follow in their footsteps.
This is so important in today’s world of technology. Lots of young generations nowadays spend lots of time sitting around or on their phones looking for the best game app or playing a game space app, watching TV, or chatting with friends, rather than being active. Events like the NGI inspire them to join local clubs and be more sporty.

Contribution to India's sports infrastructure and future international events

Many people say that the national sport of India is cricket, since it’s the most popular. But the beauty of India’s sport scene is that there isn’t actually any official national sport – instead, all sports are promoted and enjoyed equally, and the National Games greatly contributes to this, and to sporting infrastructure in India on the whole.
This event helps build investment, attention, and interest in sport, which helps various games to grow across the country. It gets young folks eager to play new games and try new things, which sets the stage nicely for the next generation of athletes and sporting heroes to feature in future events, both at a national and international level.

Uttarakhand as the host state for the National Games

If you’ve been wondering where the 38th National Games is held in, Uttarakhand is the answer. Known for its wonderful mountainous landscapes, dramatic scenery, and awesome hiking, plus its strong associations with myths and legends, it's a superb spot for an event like this.

Why Uttarakhand was chosen as the host

Uttarakhand was chosen as the host for the 38th National Games at the close of the 37th games, which were held in Goa. This is the first time we've seen the games held in Uttarakhand, and there were a few reasons behind this decision:

● The NGI has expanded over the last couple of decades, with more and more different locations chosen to host.
● Uttarakhand had never hosted before, and it’s always exciting for fans and those involved with the event to be somewhere new.
● Uttarakhand has a strong sporting history, as it's known for its adventure tourism and popularity with the likes of rafters, paragliders, and sky divers.
● There’s lots of beautiful scenery in this state, which gives a great backdrop for all the sporting action

Key venues and facilities prepared for the event

The selected venues of the 38th National Games, held in Uttarakhand, are:
● Dehradun
● Haridwar
● Shivpuri
● New Tehri
● Nainital
● Haldwani
● Rudrapur
There is a mix of man-made and natural locations where the various games will take place. This includes the Maharana Pratap Sports Complex in Dehradun, which has seen a lot of improvement in recent times building up to the games, and the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex of Haldwani, which opened in 2016. Lakes like Tehri Lake and Nainital Lake have also been chosen.

Expectations for tourism and local economy boost

It’s expected that the NGI will greatly help the local economy and tourism levels in the area. Indeed, if you look at Uttrakhand latest news, a lot of it is focusing on how the games should benefit the area. The state is gearing up for lots of tourism as 2025 goes on, especially during the warmer months of the year.
History has shown us many times that the places where the NGI are held tend to do well, economically and touristically, following the events. This is because so many people watch on TV and see all the sights and scenery, and they then want to travel to those locations for themselves. So it should be very beneficial to Uttarakhand on the whole.

PM Modi’s role in promoting sports in India

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will have a big part to play in the 38th National Games. The PM will have the honor of inaugurating the event in Dehradun.
He has stated that the games represent a celebration of India's athletic talent and excellence, and how the games help create lots more opportunities for athletes to flourish and develop. Modi has even said that events like this could help the country's push to host the Olympics in 2036.

Government initiatives supporting athletes and sports development

Under PM Modi’s leadership, we’ve seen a lot of interesting programs and initiatives to help sports stars and athletes across India, such as:
● Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund For Sportspersons: This has been around since the 1980s but was revised in 2017 under Modi to help provide assistance to amazing and successful athletes with their living conditions.
● Khelo India: The Khelo India program was introduced to essentially boost and restore interest and activity with the sports culture across India at a grassroots level. It focuses on providing the necessary resources and frameworks for many sports across the country, so that young athletes can train, learn, play, and be the best they can be.

Previous sports-related programs launched under PM Modi's leadership

There have also been other sports-related programs launched under the guidance of PM Modi, like the Scheme of Human Resources Development in Sports.
This scheme is run by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and focuses on awarding fellowships for young athletes, encouraging sporting professionals to share their knowledge through seminars, conferences, and training sessions, providing assistance to people at all levels of sport, such as math officials and coaches, and essentially upping India's entire game when it comes to sports development and culture.

The significance of his presence at the inauguration

Having PM Modi attend and inaugurate this event is very important for the participants, the fans, and the millions watching at home. It shows that PM Modi takes an active interest in the games, and it shows how significant they are in the eyes of the government and the nation. It raises the aura and prestige of the games and will inspire the athletes to perform at their very best.

Events and highlights of the 38th National Games

Next, let’s take a closer look at the games themselves. We’ll have a look at some of the many sports that are set to be featured during the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand, as well as listing some of the key athletes to keep your eyes on and some of the unique and fresh additions that will make these games ones to remember.

Major sports disciplines featured in the games

We're set to see a total of 35 sports featured at the 38th National Games. That's actually less than the previous edition, which featured 43, but it's still significantly more than most of the previous editions of the games, as many have fluctuated between 26 and 33 sports in total.
The sports set to feature include:
● Aquatics
● Diving
● Swimming
● Water polo
● Archery
● Athletics
● Badminton
● Basketball
● 3x3 basketball
● Boxing
● Canoeing
● Equestrian
● Field hockey
● Football
● Golf
● Gymnastics
● Handball
● Judo
● Kabaddi
● Kho kho
● Lawn bowls
● Mallakhamba
● Netball
● Rowing
● Rugby union
● Sailing
● Shooting
● Squash
● Table tennis
● Taekwondo
● Tennis
● Triathlon
● Volleyball
● Weightlifting
● Wrestling
● Wushu
● Yogasana
As you can see, it’s a really good and broad mix of games. There are some of India’s favorites here and some of the most popular sports in the world, like football and golf, as well as some others that are a little more niche, plus traditional Indian and Asian games like kabaddi and kho kho.

Top athletes expected to participate

So, who are set to be some of the stars of the show when the National Games kicks off? Well, spectators are guaranteed to see thousands of India's greatest athletes here, including both men and women competing in a vast range of disciplines.
We're going to see seasoned athletes with years of experience, as well as younger, aspiring stars who are just bursting onto the scene and writing the first pages of their sporting storybooks.
Some of the stars of the show could include the likes of Animesh Kujur, Gurav Pranav, Vikrant Panchal, Astik Pradhan, Yoonush Shah, Ritesh Ohre, Sawan Barwal, Matre Kiran, Gagandeep Singh, Sudeshna Shivankar, Amandeep Kaur, Sanjivani Jadhav, Vengatesh Pavithra, Bhavava Yadav, Yaman Deep, Kushal Kumar, and Kamal Dhankhar, who will all be featuring in various running and athletics events.
We'll see high jump specialists like Jesse Sandesh, long jump heroes like Moumita Mondal, great javelin throwers like Sachin Yadav, and decathlon athletes, like Rohit Roman. The list just keeps on going, with great sports stars from many states and groups set to feature.

Innovations and new additions to this edition of the games

The big news about the 38th National Games is that we’re going to see two sports for the first ever time:
● Yoga
● Mallakhamba
Both of these are Indian sports, which helps to make the games feel more traditionally and authentically Indian.
Mallakhamba is a classic sport that features athletes performing various yoga and gymnastic poses, combined with wrestling grips. Meanwhile, competitive yoga will involve yoga pros being judged on their balance, flexibility, and ability to take on and maintain different poses.

Long-term impact of the National Games on Indian sports

Next, let’s look to the future, after the games, and explore ways in which their legacy might help to shape the next developments of sport in India and beyond.

How the event can shape future Olympians and international athletes

One of the best things about the National Games is that they’re very similar, in a lot of ways, to the athletes. A lot of the same sports and events feature, so it’s a great way for Indian athletes to practice those events building up to the next Olympics, and it’s a perfect occasion for selectors and coaches to see which athletes could best represent the country at the next games.

Infrastructure development and its future use

Stadiums and sports complexes in Uttarakhand have been developed and improved in the build up to the games. And, when the games end, it’s hoped that those same arenas and environments can help to foster and train new generations of athletes. If more people get involved with sport after watching the games, the stadiums and complexes can be repurposed to train and develop them, paving the way for more Indian sporting success in the future.

Policy changes and funding improvements post-games

Also, depending on how well the games go and how Indians respond to them, we may even see new policies adapted or implemented to promote sports on an even greater level and support athletes and coaches with more funding. This remains to be seen, but it’s likely to happen, as PM Modi’s government has consistently made sport a core focus of its agenda.