Patna: Bihar has delivered its strongest-ever performance at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025, clinching 36 medals—including seven golds—and soaring to 14th place in the national rankings, a dramatic leap from its 28th-place finish in the previous edition.
The games, which concluded on Thursday, saw the host state not only successfully organise the 7th edition of the national youth sporting event but also mark a watershed moment in its sporting history. The medal tally includes 7 gold, 11 silver, and 18 bronze medals. Notable achievements came in Thang Ta, Rugby, Athletics, and Sepak Takraw.
“This is Bihar. We do not write history, we create it,” said Bihar State Sports Authority Director General Raveendran Sankaran. “Our talented athletes have given wings to their dreams. This performance is the result of four years of sustained effort and specialised training.”
The performance represents a 620% increase over Bihar’s 2023 showing, where it won just five medals. The steady progress is evident when compared to previous editions: Bihar ranked 21st and 24th in the 6th and 5th games respectively, and had consistently placed 28th from 2018 to 2021.
Officials attributed the turnaround to several initiatives launched by the Nitish Kumar-led state government. Among them are scholarship schemes ranging from ₹3 lakh to ₹20 lakh, a “Medal Lao, Naukri Pao” policy offering government jobs to medal winners, and “Mashaal,” a grassroots talent hunt identifying potential athletes at the school level.
The government has also invested in sports infrastructure and professional coaching, including foreign trainers, to nurture talent from the panchayat to the state level.
“This is the outcome of systemic investment in our athletes,” said Sankaran. “They were coached by some of the best minds in Indian and international sports, and they’ve delivered for the state.”
