The Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025, scheduled to be held in Bihar from May 4 to 14, is making headlines with the inclusion of esports in its lineup. The esports competitions will take place from May 6 to 7 at the Patliputra Sports Complex, showcasing top titles like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball.
This lineup includes games from mobile, console, and strategy genres, underlining the growing recognition of esports as a legitimate part of India’s sporting culture. It reflects a broader national trend of acknowledging esports alongside traditional sports.
While BGMI continues to dominate as the most played title in India, the inclusion of Chess is particularly significant. Once viewed as a traditional board game, Chess has now made its mark in global esports, including the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, which features a $1.5 million prize pool for the game. NODWIN Gaming has played a key role in this transformation.
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, said, “The inclusion of titles like BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 signals a big step forward for grassroots esports in India. It’s encouraging to see esports standing shoulder to shoulder with traditional sports, and the addition of Chess – bridging classical and digital strategy shows how in tune this initiative is with global trends. But this isn’t just about tournaments. It’s about creating real opportunities to discover talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, places that have been overlooked for too long, thus building the foundation for a future where Indian gamers don’t just participate, they dominate on the world stage.”
Indian esports powerhouse S8UL is also making headlines by signing Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin to compete in Chess at the EWC 2025. S8UL will also participate in Street Fighter 6, EAFC25, Call of Duty Warzone, Tekken 8, and Apex Legends at the same tournament.
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, stated, “It is especially encouraging to see Street Fighter 6 and Chess recognised through a government-led initiative, at a time when S8UL will be representing India in these very titles at the upcoming Esports World Cup. This development is crucial for identifying and nurturing talent across a range of platforms and genres from the grassroots level. Such proactive support from the authorities is a strong indicator of the growing legitimacy of esports in India and a positive sign for the industry’s future.”
Bihar has already been fostering the esports movement, hosting state-level tournaments like the Bihar State Esports Open Championship and the Bihar Inter School and College Esports Championship. Other states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland have also shown strong support for grassroots esports development.
With India already seeing success internationally, the inclusion of esports in KIYG 2025 marks a pivotal step in identifying and nurturing talent across the country.
