India's largest annual multi-sport event, the National Games, is set to commence on October 26, 2023.
The host for this edition is Goa, and the opening ceremony will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Panjim.
This year's event follows the successful 2022 edition, hosted across six cities in Gujarat, with track cycling taking place in Delhi.
Five cities in Goa, including Mapusa, Margao, Panjim, Ponda, and Vasco, will jointly host various sports, with Delhi hosting track cycling and golf events for the second time.
The 37th edition of the National Games marks the first time Goa is hosting the event.
The 2023 National Games will feature a record 42 sports, encompassing Olympic and indigenous sports like kho kho, yogasana, and mallakhamb, which made their debut in the previous edition.
List of sports featured this year inlcudes: Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach volleyball, Beach Handball, Beach Football, Billiard and Snooker, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling,
Pencak Silat, Roll Ball, Rowing, Rugby, Sepak Takraw, Shooting, Squay Martial Arts, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Wushu, Yachting and Yogasana.
These National Games follow India's impressive performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where the country achieved its best-ever medal haul of 107, securing fourth place in the medal tally.