Johannesburg, The first phase of the Khelo India Games organized outside the country concluded successfully in South Africa after a fortnight of activity that saw local South Africans and Indian expatriates come together in volleyball, badminton, table tennis and chess tournaments.
Four other traditional Indian games (Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Carrom and Satoliya/Lagori) are planned for the second phase of the event, said Manish Gupta, president of the India Club, an organization of expatriate Indians based in the South. Africa.
India Club co-organized the events with the Consulate General of India in Johannesburg.
"We gladly accepted Consul General Mahesh Kumar's request to help coordinate the Khelo India events, and our executive members, with enthusiasm and passion, engaged various Indian expatriate organizations in South Africa to help," said Gupta.
“Our goal of inclusion led us to involve the Tamil Association of South Africa in the volleyball tournament. The Gauteng Malayalee Association took charge of the badminton tournament, while the India Club organized the internationally ranked chess tournament and table tennis as a national championship with local bodies for these sports,” added Gupta.
Kumar said Khelo India, which was launched by the Indian government in 2017, is dedicated to the development of sports in India.
"We want to take this beyond national borders because sport unites people like nothing else can," Kumar said.
“Hosting the first Khelo India overseas, in South Africa, further highlights the special relationship our two countries have always shared, even at a people-to-people level, which was demonstrated again through the support of these four tournaments from both the India as from India. both the diaspora and the local population,” Kumar said, adding that other countries were expected to emulate this.
Kumar said people had even traveled from the neighboring states of Lesotho and Zimbabwe to take part.
The diplomat said the sports were selected because they were not in the mainstream of popular sports such as cricket or football, adding that several competitors were also citizens of other foreign countries living in South Africa.
Kumar said the icing on the cake in the coming years would be to see South African players travel to India and Indian players come to South Africa to play and participate.
“We hope that the Indian diaspora can also participate in what can become another international event. As we have the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games, the Olympic Games and others, perhaps this can be a movement that could become the Khelo India Games,” Kumar said.
Four other traditional Indian games (Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Carrom and Satoliya/Lagori) are planned for the second phase of the event, said Manish Gupta, president of the India Club, an organization of expatriate Indians based in the South. Africa.
India Club co-organized the events with the Consulate General of India in Johannesburg.
"We gladly accepted Consul General Mahesh Kumar's request to help coordinate the Khelo India events, and our executive members, with enthusiasm and passion, engaged various Indian expatriate organizations in South Africa to help," said Gupta.
“Our goal of inclusion led us to involve the Tamil Association of South Africa in the volleyball tournament. The Gauteng Malayalee Association took charge of the badminton tournament, while the India Club organized the internationally ranked chess tournament and table tennis as a national championship with local bodies for these sports,” added Gupta.
Kumar said Khelo India, which was launched by the Indian government in 2017, is dedicated to the development of sports in India.
"We want to take this beyond national borders because sport unites people like nothing else can," Kumar said.
“Hosting the first Khelo India overseas, in South Africa, further highlights the special relationship our two countries have always shared, even at a people-to-people level, which was demonstrated again through the support of these four tournaments from both the India as from India. both the diaspora and the local population,” Kumar said, adding that other countries were expected to emulate this.
Kumar said people had even traveled from the neighboring states of Lesotho and Zimbabwe to take part.
The diplomat said the sports were selected because they were not in the mainstream of popular sports such as cricket or football, adding that several competitors were also citizens of other foreign countries living in South Africa.
Kumar said the icing on the cake in the coming years would be to see South African players travel to India and Indian players come to South Africa to play and participate.
“We hope that the Indian diaspora can also participate in what can become another international event. As we have the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games, the Olympic Games and others, perhaps this can be a movement that could become the Khelo India Games,” Kumar said.